Early repair of congenital cleft lip with correction of nasal deformities

Objective\ To investigate early repair of congenital cleft lip with correction of nasal deformities at the same time so as to avoid another operation for the deformities. Methods\ Millard Ⅰ or Ⅱ of cleft lip repair was used with correction of nasal deformities at the same time,in which the displaced alar cartilage and the deviated septum were replaced to their normal anatomical position. Results\ Thirty patients aged 3 months to 3 years were treated with this method from 1998 to 1999. Among them 24 patients suffering from unilateral cleft lip,and six bilateral cleft lip.The longest time of postoperative follow\|up was 18 months.The results are excellent. Conclusions\ The tissues of cleft lip infants are feeble and the deformities are easy to correct.Repair of the displaced alar cartilage can enable the deviated septum to return to the normal anatomical position and to grow in the right place. As a result, the nasal deformity will not appear any more.\;