Comparative Analysis of Three-Dimensional Nasal Shape of Casts from Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Treated at Two Institutions Following Rotation Advancement Only (Iowa) or Nasoalveolar Molding and Rotation Advancement in Conjunction With Primary Rhinoplasty (New York)

Defining the Treatment Gap in Nasoalveolar Molding: Factors Affecting the Utilization of NAM in an Urban Cleft Center

BACKGROUND

Many cleft centers incorporate NasoAlveolar Molding (NAM) into their presurgical treatment protocols. However, there are limited data on eligible patients who do not receive or complete NAM. This study characterizes the demographics associated with non-utilization or completion of NAM.

METHODS

A single-institution retrospective review was performed of all patients with cleft lip and alveolus undergoing primary unilateral and bilateral cleft lip repair from 2012-2020. Patients were grouped based on utilization or non-utilization of NAM. Demographic and treatment data were collected, including documented reasons for not pursuing or completing NAM.

RESULTS

Of 230 eligible patients, 61 patients (27%) did not undergo or complete NAM (no-NAM). In this group, 37 (60.7%) received no presurgical intervention, 12 (19.7%) received presurgical nostril retainers, 3 (4.9%) received lip taping, 1 (1.6%) received a combination of taping/nostril retainers, and 8 (13.1%) discontinued NAM. The most common reasons for not receiving NAM were sufficiently aligned cleft alveolus (21.3%), medical complexity (16.4%), late presentation (16.4%), and alveolar notching (18%). Compared to the NAM group, the no-NAM group had significantly lower rates of prenatal cleft diagnosis/consult, and significantly higher proportion of non-married and non-English speaking caregivers. Multivariable analysis controlling for insurance type, primary language, prenatal consult, marital status, and age at first appointment found that age at first appointment is the only statistically significant predictor of NAM utilization (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Common reasons for non-utilization of NAM include well-aligned cleft alveolus, medical complexity, and late presentation. Early presentation is an important modifiable factor affecting rates of NAM utilization.

Dynamic Molding of Cleft Nasal Cartilage in Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate Using Simple Segmented NAM

Objective

Nasal morphology remodeling by nasoalveolar molding (NAM) before primary lip repair gives better post-surgery outcomes. However, traditional NAM has high technical sensitivity, a steep learning curve, frequent need for modifications, and interrupts lifting forces on the nasal cartilage during oral movements, thereby reducing overall efficacy of device. To eliminate interaction and interdependency of the nasal bulb with alveolar molding plate, we propose segmenting NAM (SNAM) into nasolabial complex molding (NCM) and alveolar complex molding (ACM). NCM addresses ala-septum, lip-premaxilla via lambda-nasal hook and lip taping. ACM addresses palate-alveolus via Yen-modified feeding plate. When the hook is suspended by elastic traction, nasal complex undergoes a natural rotation, where cleft-side ala lifts and septum medializes. Lip taping and feeding plate augment positive molding of cleft segments and maintain transverse relation. The current study outlines SNAM treatment strategy and assesses the effect on nasal deformity.

Design and setting

Retrospective observational cohort study set in a comprehensive cleft care centre.

Patients

Twenty patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate who underwent SNAM were selected.

Main outcome measures

Retrospectively, standardized basilar views, pre-, and post-SNAM therapy were evaluated for nostril height, and nostril width, as a ratio of cleft to non-cleft side along with columellar deviation angle.

Results

SNAM resulted in significantly improved nostril symmetry with no complications observed. Nostril height ratio increased from 0.35 ± 0.10 to 0.78 ± 0.17. Nostril width ratio decreased from 3.14 ± 0.66 to 2.18 ± 0.42. Columellar deviation angle increased from 26.5 ± 6.30 to 58.5 ± 9.88 degrees.

Conclusions

Dynamic correction of the nasal deformity in UCLP is possible through SNAM therapy.

A Comparative Assessment of Nasal Appearance following Nasoalveolar Molding and Primary Surgical Repair for Treatment of Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

BACKGROUND

Although many cleft teams have adopted nasoalveolar molding to improve nasal form, few comparative studies have assessed the postoperative benefits of this treatment. Given that reported outcomes have been contradictory and that treatment involves considerable burden to families, the purpose of this study was to assess objective and subjective changes from nasoalveolar molding at approximately 5 years of age.

METHODS

All patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate who underwent primary cheiloplasty performed by a single surgeon over a 7-year period were reviewed. Patient results were grouped into nasoalveolar molding or no-nasoalveolar molding. Cleft severity and aesthetic outcomes were assessed by panels of raters who independently ranked subject images at presentation, immediately preoperative (after molding), and at 5-year follow-up. Objective symmetry was measured using standard anthropometric analysis on three-dimensional images.

RESULTS

Among 41 patients included, 16 successfully completed nasoalveolar molding. Both groups were similar at presentation; however, the nasoalveolar molding group had improved appearance following molding (p < 0.05). After surgery, at 5 years of age, the nasoalveolar molding group had better rank scores for overall appearance (p < 0.05), cleft nostril height, and cleft medial lip height (p < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that nasoalveolar molding treatment was the most significant predictor of overall nasal appearance at 5 years, but that treatment team experience and initial severity were also significant predictors (p < 0.05). Qualitative audit following analysis identified favorable and unfavorable features of nasoalveolar molding.

CONCLUSION

In children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, nasoalveolar molding was associated with better overall nasal aesthetics and improved cleft nostril height and cleft medial lip height at approximately 5 years of age.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, III.

Long-Term Comparison of the Aesthetic Outcomes between Nasoalveolar Molding- and Non-Nasoalveolar Molding-Treated Patients with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

BACKGROUND

The cleft lip-nose deformity in unilateral cleft lip and palate is one of the most challenging problem for surgeons to correct. Although nasoalveolar molding has been shown to be effective in improving presurgical symmetry in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, there is need for better evidence regarding the long-term nasolabial aesthetics of patients who have received this therapy.

METHODS

Thirty-eight patients treated with nasoalveolar molding and 48 patients not treated with nasoalveolar molding (but otherwise treated similarly) with unilateral cleft lip and palate were studied to assess and compare the nasolabial aesthetics. The objective evaluation of the nasal symmetry was performed on the basal view of two-dimensional photographs and the subjective nasolabial aesthetic evaluation was performed using the Asher-McDade scale.

RESULTS

At 5-year postoperative follow-up, nasoalveolar molding group patients had better mean values on the objective scores; however, these were not statically significant. The nasoalveolar molding group of patients had a statistically significant improvement in the subjective evaluation in comparison to the non-nasoalveolar molding-treated patients. The number of lip revisions was also statistically higher in the non-nasoalveolar molding-treated group of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective, single-center study, the authors found that at 5-year postoperative follow-up, nasoalveolar molding-treated patients had improved nasolabial aesthetics and fewer revision operations. These are, however, preliminary results and the patients will be followed up until the end of growth to assess the longer term effects of nasoalveolar molding on the nasolabial aesthetics in unilateral cleft lip and palate.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, III.

Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Reconstruction and Measurement of Nasal End Deformity in Complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

BACKGROUND

The repair of nasal deformities secondary to cleft lip and palate is complex and requires reliable preoperative nasal 3-dimensional assessment. This study explored nasal end (defined as the lower third of the external nasal and vestibular parts of the nasal cavity) deformities secondary to unilateral complete cleft lip and palate.

METHODS

Three-dimensional nasal end morphometric measurements were obtained from 48 patients who had undergone Millard cleft lip repair and reached skeletal maturity (cleft group) and from 36 age- and ethnicity-matched normal subjects (control group). For the cleft group, paired t tests and 1-way analysis of covariance were used to evaluate the internal and external morphological characteristics of the cleft and noncleft sides of the nasal end, and correlation analysis was done to evaluate the relationship between cleft-side measurements.

RESULTS

In the cleft group, the cleft side showed significantly smaller nasal vestibular volume and skin area, nostril area, nasal column length, and nostril height and greater nostril base length and nasal alar length than the noncleft side (all P < 0.05). Controlling for sex, there were significant differences in the nasal vestibular volume and skin area, internal nasal valve area, long nostril diameter, nostril base length, columella length, nostril height, and nasal alar length between the cleft and control groups (all P < 0.05). On the cleft side, the area of the skin lining of the nasal vestibule positively correlated with the alar length (r = 0.67, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Three-dimensional nasal end reconstruction provides a more detailed preoperative nasal end morphological evaluation than previously available techniques.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, case-control study.

Time-Driven, Activity-Based Costing of Presurgical Infant Orthopedics: A Critical Component of Establishing Value of Latham Appliance and Nasoalveolar Molding

BACKGROUND

Value-based health-care reform requires assessment of outcomes and costs of medical interventions. In cleft care, presurgical infant orthopedics is still being evaluated for clinical benefits and risks; however, the cost of these procedures has been largely ignored. This study uses robust accounting methods to quantify the cost of providing two types of presurgical infant orthopedics: Latham appliance treatment and nasoalveolar molding.

METHODS

This is a prospective study of patients with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate who underwent treatment with presurgical infant orthopedics from 2017 to 2019 at two academic centers. Costs were measured using time-driven activity-based costing. Personnel costs, facility costs (operating room, clinic, and inpatient ward), and equipment costs were included. Travel expenses were incorporated as an estimate of direct costs borne by the family, but indirect costs (e.g., time off from work) were not considered.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients were treated with Latham appliance treatment and 14 were treated with nasoalveolar molding. For Latham appliance treatment, average total cost was $7553 per patient ($1041 for personnel, $637 for equipment, $4871 for facility, and $1004 for travel over 6.5 visits). Unilateral and bilateral costs were $6891 and $8860, respectively. For nasoalveolar molding, average cost totaled $2541 ($364 for personnel, $151 for equipment, $300 for facility, and $1726 for travel over 13 visits); $2120 for unilateral and $3048 for bilateral treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The major difference in cost is attributable to operative placement of the Latham device. Travel cost for nasoalveolar molding is often higher because of frequent clinical encounters required. Future investigation should focus on whether outcomes achieved by presurgical infant orthopedics justify the $2100 to $8900 expenditure for these adjunctive procedures.

Presurgical Orthopedic Intervention Prior to Cleft Lip and Palate Repair: Nasoalveolar Molding Versus Passive Molding Appliance Therapy

BACKGROUND

Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) is a widely used presurgical orthopedic device, despite disputes over its effectiveness. This study compares the outcomes after cleft lip and nose repair in patients who received NAM versus those who underwent passive alveolar molding with lip taping.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate who received either NAM (n = 16) or passive molding (n = 10) treatments was conducted. Alveolar gap width was measured on maxillary casts until time of palatoplasty. Nasolabial symmetry was assessed by examining anthropometric ratios on post-operative three-dimensional photographs. Burden of care was evaluated by analyzing the number of patient appointments attended, treatment costs, and caregiver satisfaction surveys.

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference existed in alveolar gap at time of initial appointment or palatoplasty, however the gap was smaller in the NAM cohort at time of lip and nose repair. No statistically significant difference existed in postsurgical heminasal width, nostril width, nostril height, labial height or nasal ala projection asymmetry between the NAM and the passive molding cohort. Patients in the NAM group attended more dental appointments and incurred higher treatment costs compared to the passive molding group. Caregivers reported high satisfaction with treatment outcomes in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no differences between NAM and passive molding regarding postsurgical nasolabial appearance and patient satisfaction. Both treatments narrow the alveolar gap. However, NAM places a higher burden of care on families.

Three-Dimensional Nasolabial Changes After Nasoalveolar Molding and Primary Lip/Nose Surgery in Infants With Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

OBJECTIVE

Utilize 3-dimensional (3D) photography to evaluate the nasolabial changes in infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) who underwent nasoalveolar molding (NAM) and primary reconstructive surgery.

DESIGN

This is a retrospective serial longitudinal study of consecutively enrolled infants from September 2012 to July 2016 with BCLP who underwent NAM before primary lip and nose reconstructive surgery. It included infants who had digital 3dMD stereophotogrammetry records at initial presentation (T1), completion of NAM (T2), and 3 weeks following primary repair (T3). Twelve infants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 3dMD Vultus software was used to orient images and plot 16 nasolabial points with x, y, z coordinates to obtain the linear and angular measurements. Nasal form changes were measured and analyzed between T1 (0.5 months old), T2 (5 months old), and T3 (6 months old). Intraclass correlation coefficient was performed for intrarater reliability. Averaged data from the 3D images was statistically analyzed from T1 to T2 and T2 to T3 with Wilcoxon tests. Unaffected infant norms from the Farkas publication were used as a control sample.

RESULTS

After NAM therapy, statistically significant changes in the position of subnasale and labius superius improved nasolabial symmetry. Both retruded after NAM were displaced downward after NAM and surgical correction with respect to soft tissue nasion. The nasal tip's projection was maintained with NAM and surgical correction. The columella lengthened from 1.4 to 4.71 mm following NAM.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant improvement in the nasolabial anatomy after NAM, and this was further enhanced after primary reconstructive surgery.

A Longitudinal Study of The Nasal Symmetry in Unilateral Cleft Lip And Palate Patients Treated With Nasoalveolar Molding

Background  Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) has been extensively used as a presurgical technique in the treatment of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) over the last two decades. It has proven to be a useful tool to reduce the cleft size, improve nasal symmetry, and increase the columellar length. The long-term stability of these findings has not been conclusively proven.

Methods  In this longitudinal study, the nasal symmetry of 24 NAM treated UCLP patients was evaluated to assess the 5-year stability of NAM. The basal photographs were shot postcheiloplasty (T1), at 1-year follow-up (T2), at 3-year follow-up (T3), and 5-year follow-up (T4) appointments.

Results  In this study, we found that NAM was a useful adjuvant in achieving nasal symmetry in patients with UCLP in the immediate postoperative period. However, as the patients aged, there was a gradual loss of mean nasal height (by 22.83%) and columella length (by 24.89%), a mean gain in nasal width (by 40.25%) and alar base width (by 40.69%), and an increase in the columella deviation (by 3.46%) from the T1 to the T4 follow-up.

Conclusion  Although there is no conclusive evidence, the loss of symmetry may be due to the unequal growth on the cleft and noncleft sides. These patients will be followed-up till end of growth for a definite conclusion on the long-term effect of NAM.

The Surgical Nasoalveolar Molding: A Rational Treatment for Unilateral Cleft Lip Nose Deformity and Literature Review

The purposes of this study were to evaluate surgical outcomes after primary surgery to address unilateral cleft lip, nose, and palate deformities and to perform a review of the literature to evaluate the effects of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) plus primary surgical repair on nonsyndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate.

METHODS

A cohort study of 37 primary complete unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity repairs was performed by a single surgeon. The outcomes were anthropometric measurements of the repaired lip, nose, and alveolar cleft width at the age of 1 and 5 years. A review of the literature was performed for studies published until March 2020 to evaluate the effect of presurgical NAM on nasolabial aesthetics.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were observed between pre- and postoperative columellar angle and alveolar cleft width. A total of 308 studies were identified, and 8 were included in the final analysis of 684 patients. The overall study quality was low according to the Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine, and GRADE level of evidence was low.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary cheilorhinoplasty alone is a good approach to improve nose appearance and alveolar gap in patients with unilateral cleft lip nose and palate deformity. Definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of presurgical NAM cannot be drawn. Available scientific evidence is not sufficient to demonstrate that combined use of presurgical nasoalveolar molding and primary surgery provides better nasolabial aesthetic outcomes than does primary surgery alone.