Primary Cleft Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review of Results, Growth Restriction, and Avoiding Secondary Rhinoplasty

Patient-Reported Esthetic Outcomes Following Secondary Rhinoplasty in Adult Patients with a Cleft lip and Palate

OBJECTIVE

Secondary rhinoplasty is a frequently requested revision procedure in patients with a history of cleft lip and palate (CLP). The satisfaction of patients with the esthetic outcome of the procedure has been infrequently studied.

DESIGN

Adult patients with CLP who had undergone a secondary rhinoplasty between 2009 and 2019 were identified in a cross-sectional cohort that had filled the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module. The effect of the cleft type and the number and timing of the nasal revision surgeries were evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty participants were included, median age of 26 years (range 18-59 years). Nine (23%) participants had a history of bilateral CLP. The median time form the last nasal operation to the study was 4.5 years (range 16 days to 10 years). The participants reported being satisfied with the appearance of the nose (median score 52, interquartile range [IQR] 44-60) but the satisfaction with the appearance of the nostrils (median score 44, IQR 30-64) was below the normative value for the scale. Patients with a history of bilateral CLP reported worse satisfaction across all the aspects of health-related quality of life assessed (P < .05 for all). No association was observed between the age at the first open rhinoplasty and satisfaction with the appearance of the nose or the nostrils.

CONCLUSIONS

Following secondary rhinoplasty, adults with CLP are, in general, satisfied with their nose but less so with nostrils. Compared to unilateral CLP, bilateral CLP is associated with a worse health-related quality of life.

Septoplasty During Primary Cleft Lip Reconstruction: A Historical Perspective and Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Traditional surgical approaches excluded septoplasty at primary cleft lip reconstruction due to concerns about restricted nasal and midfacial growth. Modern opinion in the treatment of cleft lip has increasingly employed primary septoplasty; this scoping review and historical perspective aims to chronicle the evolution of septoplasty in patients born with cleft lip and palate and discuss current evidence.

METHODS

The historical perspective explicitly contrasts American and European perceptions of septoplasty in cleft lip deformity and the competing anatomical theories of the role of the septum on midfacial and nasal growth. For the scoping review, articles were extracted from Embase, PubMed, and Medline, as well as manual searches of reference lists. Results were compiled, grouped, and appraised by date, outcomes, and historical significance. Inclusion criteria consisted of children who underwent primary septoplasty for any indication and were followed up on outcomes of facial growth and nasal function. Literature reviews, opinion articles, case reports, guidelines, or studies not available in English or online were excluded.

RESULTS

Evolving anatomical theories relating to midfacial growth in the mid-late 20th century underpinned a progressive ideological shift on the safety and efficacy of septoplasty in children. This is supported by our scoping review, which included 23 articles mutually selected for inclusion by 2 blinded assessors. Several competing methods have been employed to measure endpoints on facial growth and nasal function, but generally indicate primary septoplasty is successful in improving nasal function and preserving midfacial growth.

CONCLUSION

Perceptions towards septoplasty on facial growth in the pediatric population have transformed significantly and suggest a growing acceptance of primary septoplasty techniques in patients born with a cleft lip.

Three-dimensional Assessment of Longitudinal Surgical Outcome in Patients with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: A Modified Rotation Advancement Technique

BACKGROUND

Optimization of a modified rotation advancement technique is hampered by lack of objective measures to quantify the longitudinal surgical outcome.

METHODS

We collected and assessed facial 3D images of 115 consecutive patients who underwent primary repair between 2017 and 2019. Photogrammetry was performed preoperatively, immediately postoperatively and at a first and second follow-up interval, occurring at an average year of 0.6 and 5.3 years, respectively. 10 additional age-matched noncleft control subjects were also included.

RESULTS

Growth lag in cleft side lateral lip and gradual elongation of medial lip height on the cleft side caused continuous deviation of philtrum towards the cleft side. The columellar length on the cleft side continued to grow slower, accompanied by a persistent widening of alar base width on the cleft side, leading to in the gradual deviation of columella towards the cleft side. The pre-operative and post-operative nasolabial asymmetry would increase with greater degree of postoperative deficiencies. Right clefts presented with greater degrees of deficiencies in lateral lip height in preoperative measurement, but this discrepancy of the laterality of clefts was not observed in the two follow-up periods.

CONCLUSION

The surgical outcome of this modified rotational advancement technique in unilateral cleft lip primary repair is promising. Growth lag in lateral lip and lateral displacement of alar base cause continuous deviation of philtrum towards the cleft side. Pre-operative severity does predict post-operative outcomes. Laterality of oral clefts does not significantly affect the long-term outcomes of surgery.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATION

This surgical technique meets the current trend of cleft lip and palate primary repair and is worth promoting.

Current Treatment Progress of Unilateral Cleft Lip Nasal Deformities

INTRODUCTION

Secondary nasal deformity following unilateral cleft lip is a common facial congenital malformation. Due to its complex treatment, there is currently no unified treatment plan in clinical practice. Dysplasia of cartilage, dislocation of muscles, and dysplasia of maxilla are the main causes of secondary nasal deformities of unilateral cleft lip. This article provides a comprehensive summary of the perioperative period and treatment process of unilateral cleft lip nasal deformities, aiming to find better clinical treatment guidance for patients with unilateral cleft lip and nasal deformity.

METHODS

A review of numerous previous studies on unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity, particularly within the last five years, was conducted to gather information on treatment strategies and perioperative care for unilateral cleft lip rhinoplasty.

CONCLUSION

Currently, there is still no unified final surgical method for the correction and treatment of unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity. In terms of surgical timing, simultaneous primary rhinoplasty and lip repair are gradually being recognized internationally, while intermediate rhinoplasty can be considered when it affects the patients social and psychological life. Patients with severe initial nasal deformity require multiple revisions. Secondary rhinoplasty remains the ideal treatment for final correction of secondary nasal deformities in unilateral cleft lip.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Primary rhinoplasty in patients with bilateral cleft lip: Longitudinal results and comparison between closed and semi-open approaches

BACKGROUND

Although several studies have shown that primary rhinoplasty in patients with cleft lip provides good outcomes with limited effect on nasal growth, the surgical procedure remains to be standardized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome of primary semi-open rhinoplasty with Tajima reverse-U incision, compared with that of closed rhinoplasty.

METHODS

Consecutive nonsyndromic patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (n = 52) who underwent primary semi-open rhinoplasty between 2001 and 2016 were reviewed. Patients who underwent primary closed rhinoplasty (n = 61) and control group individuals were recruited for comparison. Computer-based standardized measurements of 2D photographs and panel assessments by laypersons were collected and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

In the comparative analysis at preschool age, semi-open rhinoplasty significantly improved the typical nasal deformities, including transversely oriented wide nostrils, short columella, and de-projected nasal tip, more effectively than closed rhinoplasty. Without major drawbacks, these parameters in the semi-open group were well maintained closer to those in the control group till skeletal maturity. After primary rhinoplasty, 54% of patients in the closed group and 4% in the semi-open group underwent intermediate rhinoplasty at preschool age.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that the patients who underwent primary semi-open rhinoplasty achieved long-term and persistent outcomes that were closer to the normal nasal morphology compared with the patients treated with closed rhinoplasty, while avoiding intermediate rhinoplasty during the preschool to adolescent periods.

Mixed Dentition Period Follow-up of Primary Unilateral Cleft Nose Deformity Repair

Background

Recently, there has been an increased acceptance of the primary cleft rhinoplasty providing acceptable outcomes. Nose reconstruction, and specifically cleft nose deformity, should be addressed based on this philosophy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes during the mixed dentition period after primary surgery to address unilateral cleft lip nose deformity based on the proposed technique.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study. Thirty-two primary complete unilateral cleft lip patients were operated on by a single surgeon using the V-Y-Z cleft rhinoplasty. This method combines a composite V-Y advancement flap with lateral Z-plasty. Data collection was accomplished by evaluation of nasal symmetry through anthropometric measurements performed under general anesthesia during primary cleft palatoplasty and alveolar bone graft. The outcomes were evaluated through anthropometric measurements of the repaired nose during the mixed dentition period of follow-up, and no type of presurgical management was performed for any of the patients.

Results

Total nasal symmetry has been observed in 34.37% of patients at 7 years or more and 40.62% at 1-year follow-up. Nonstatistically significant differences were observed during follow-up, and major revision requirement (>3 mm of asymmetry in any of the nose measurements) was observed in 9.37% of patients.

Conclusions

The proposed primary cleft rhinoplasty is a good approach to improve nasal appearance in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Current trends in unilateral cleft lip repair

The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth look at the current perioperative and intraoperative practices for unilateral cleft lip repair. The contemporary literature reveals trends towards incorporation of curvilinear and geometric hybrid lip repairs. Perioperative practices are trending in new directions as well with the use of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols to reduce morbidity and length of stay, continued use of nasoalveolar molding, and a tendency to favor outpatient repair with more utilization of same day surgery centers. There is much room for growth, with new and exciting technologies on the horizon to improve upon cosmesis, functionality, and the operative experience.