Treatment Modalities to Achieve Nasal Symmetry in Unilateral Cleft Lip/Nasal Deformity: An Objective and Comparative Evaluation

IntroductionPrimary cleft lip repair techniques do not address the nasal deformity adequately resulting in nasal asymmetry. Maneuvers employed to minimize this have varying degrees of success.AimTo assess the outcome of different treatment modalities employed to establish nasal symmetry in unilateral cleft lip.Methods100 patients with complete unilateral cleft lip/ palate operated for primary cheiloplasty with modified Millard's rotation advancement technique were divided into five groups. Group 1: lip repair alone, Group 2: NAM followed by lip repair, Group 3: lip repair followed by placement of conformers, Group 4: NAM followed by lip repair and placement of conformers, Group 5: lip repair with semi-open rhinoplasty. Objective assessment was done using measurable parameters after 12 months post-operatively on a 1:1 standard photograph.ResultsGroup 5 showed statistical significance in all parameters assessed. Progressive improvement in nasal symmetry was noted from Group 1 to Group V.ConclusionIn our study, group V, i.e., modified Millard's repair with semi-open rhinoplasty improved the results in terms of all the objective parameters assessed. The results of the other groups showed improvement though not consistent in all parameters. Naso-alveolar molding is an effective adjunct. Additionally, nasal conformers proved to be of great value in retaining the results obtained post-surgery.