Primary Nasal Correction in Unilateral Cleft Lip: An Ongoing Journey

Nasal Light Reflex: A Useful Intraoperative Tool in Correction of Cleft Lip Nasal Deformity

Background

The correction of a unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity remains a challenge to cleft surgeons. It is difficult to obtain a routinely predictable outcome. This is in part due to there being no objective intraoperative method to assess the correction.

Methods

We have come up with a simple objective intraoperative method to plan and assess the correction of the nasal deformity. This is done by assessing the nasal light reflex using a mobile phone camera to define the deformity. The points of the desired correction of the lower lateral cartilage are transposed onto the patient. Once the lip and nose repair is completed, another photograph is taken to assess the nasal light reflex and assess the extent of correction. If this is inadequate, further nasal correction is performed. We have used this procedure in 122 cleft lip patients with 93 complete and 29 incomplete.

Results

We have found this to be a useful objective intraoperative method to assist in obtaining improved nasal correction in cleft lip patients. As is well known, relapse of the nose is common in cleft lip repairs, but this method allows one to better gauge the correction at the primary surgery.

Conclusion

Nasal light reflex should be added to the armamentarium of cleft surgeons to assist in superior correction of the nose, which is an item that continues to vex these surgeons.

"Septoplasty" Performed at Primary Cleft Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review of Techniques and Call for Accurate Terminology

OBJECTIVE

Primary cleft nasal repair can include septal reconstruction. We hypothesize that primary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty have fundamental differences that render these procedures as distinct surgical entities.

DESIGN

Systematic review of the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases performed on pediatric cleft and general adult septoplasty techniques through December 2021. (PROSPERO ID CRD42022295763).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Collected data included information on septal dissection, septal detachment, and management of the bony and cartilaginous septum.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight pediatric cleft septoplasty and 229 adult septoplasty studies were included. Dissection in primary cleft septoplasty was limited to the anterocaudal septum, while secondary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty techniques entailed wide exposures of the cartilaginous septum with or without exposure of the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid. In primary cleft septoplasty, detachment of the septum was mostly limited to the nasal spine and anterior base of the cartilaginous septum, while secondary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty included detachment from the vomer, and ethmoid. In the few reports of cartilage excision during primary cleft septoplasty, removal was limited to the anterior inferior border of the septum, while secondary cleft septoplasty and adult septoplasty included excision of the cartilaginous and bony septum.

CONCLUSION

Primary cleft septoplasty is distinct from septoplasty performed on facially mature patients. More specifically, septal dissection and detachment are limited to the anterior caudal area during primary lip repair, with rare removal of cartilage or bone. Given these differences, the authors suggest the term "septal reset" to describe septoplasty performed during primary cleft nasal repair.

Growth-related nasal stability following unilateral complete cleft lip repair: A comparison of the standard and modified rotation-advancement technique

BACKGROUND

Improving growth-related nasal stability is a critical goal of primary cleft lip repair. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth-related stability of the nose after unilateral complete cleft lip (UCCL) repair with standard rotation-advancement (RA) and modified rotation-advancement (MRA) techniques.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

In this retrospective study, 52 non-syndromic (UCCL) patients were treated with a MRA technique, where a C-flap and a superiorly based advanced flap were used to lengthen and support the columella and nasal sill, and 48 patients were treated with a standard RA technique. Photos were taken before surgery (T1), immediately after surgery (T2), 1 year after surgery (T3), and 5 years after surgery (T4). Cleft width ratio, maxillary discrepancy, ala collapse, ala base position, columellar angle and height, nostril height, and width were all measured. The t-test, repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA), stepwise multiple regression, inter-class correlation coefficient, and ANOVA with Bonferroni corrections were conducted.

RESULTS

MRA improved columellar height significantly at T3 and T4. Growth-related columellar height stability at T2-T4 was significantly better in the MRA group (P = 0.08) than in the standard RA group (P = 0.007). Nasal width was a moderate predictor of post-operative outcome, and maxillary discrepancy and ala collapse were moderate predictors of growth-related nostril height changes.

CONCLUSION

Both groups demonstrated the same measurement stability at 1 and 5 years, except for the columellar height in the standard RA group, which deteriorated and then improved over time due to unknown reasons. Furthermore, the MRA group had better columellar height symmetry than the standard RA group at 1 and 5 years after surgery.

Longitudinal Anatomic Analysis of Primary Cleft Lip Rhinoplasty Outcomes

Background: The unilateral cleft lip deformity is associated with nasal deformities with secondary functional and aesthetic challenges. Objectives: Compare the change in nasal symmetry before and incrementally after primary endonasal cleft rhinoplasty concurrent with lip repair. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of infants undergoing unilateral cleft lip repair. Data collection included demographics, surgical history, and pre- and postoperative alar and nostril photographs analyzed with Image J. Statistical analysis was done using linear and multivariable mixed effect models. Results: Twenty-two patients with a near even gender distribution (46% female) and primarily left-sided cleft lips underwent unilateral lip repair at a mean age of 3.9 months (median 3.0, range 2-12). Mean pre- and postoperative alar symmetry ratios were 0.099 (standard error [SE] 0.0019) and -0.0012 (SE 0.0179), with zero representing perfect symmetry and negative values indicating overcorrection. These values at 1, 2-4, 5-7, 8-12, 13-24, and 25+ months were 0.026, 0.050, 0.046, 0.052, 0.049, and 0.052 (SE range: 0.0015-0.0096), respectively, demonstrating stability of the alar symmetry 4 months postrepair. Conclusions: In this study, patients who underwent an overcorrective primary cleft rhinoplasty concurrent with lip repair had an initial regression of symmetry within the first 4 months postoperatively, followed by observed stabilization.