Structural Fat Grafting to Improve Reconstructive Outcomes in Secondary Cleft Lip Deformity

Objective:  To describe the technique and results of structural fat grafting in cleft lip revision, including patient satisfaction and aesthetic outcome. Design:  Retrospective case series. Setting:  Multidisciplinary cleft care center. Patients:  All patients who underwent structural fat grafting between June 2006 and September 2012 for cleft lip revision, with appropriate photographic follow-up included. Twenty-two cases were reviewed; 18 had sufficient data to be included. Interventions:  Patients underwent structural fat grafting for cleft lip revision, most commonly injecting fat under deficient philtral columns, the nostril base, and upper lip. Main Outcome Measures:  Blinded observers rated outcomes using the Asher-McDade nasolabial appearance rating scale. Patients completed questionnaires assessing their satisfaction. A paired Student's t-test was used to test outcomes for significance (alpha = 0.05). Results:  Patients were an average of 16 years old (range: 6–43); average length of follow up wa...