Resorbable internal splint: an adjunct to primary correction of unilateral cleft lip-nasal deformity

There is usually some relapse in position of the alar cartilage after primary repair of unilateral cleft lip. Therefore, preoperative or postoperative external splinting has been recommended to supplement either closed or open suspension of the alar cartilage. The authors present a method using a resorbable internal nostril splint to shield the positioned alar cartilage from deformational forces caused by scar, and thus avoiding the problems associated with external splinting. An internal nasal splint was placed in 15 infants during repair of unilateral complete cleft lip and nasal deformity. The nasal morphology was compared with that of 15 control patients who had the same nasolabial procedure without internal splinting. Average follow-up time was 20.4 months (range, 4 to 30 months). Photogrammetric analysis showed that asymmetry of the alar contours averaged 8.6 percent in the splinted patients, as compared with 23 percent for controls (p <0.01). Thus, alar asymmetry was decreased two-thirds in the splinted group. An internal resorbable nasal splint is an adjunct to open alar suspension in primary repair of the unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity. An internal nasal splint protects the corrected alar cartilage longer than an external splint and eliminates drawbacks, such as necrosis, cutaneous depression of the nostril sill, and patient noncompliance. This strategy of temporary internal support of healing cartilage has other applications.     

Primary correction of unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity in Asian patients: anthropometric evaluation

Previously it was thought that primary correction of nasal deformity in cleft lip patients would cause developmental impairment of the nose. It is now widely accepted that simultaneous correction of the cleft lip nasal deformity has no adverse effect on nasal growth. Thus, the authors tried to evaluate the results of primary correction of cleft lip in Asian patients. Of 412 cases of cleft lip, 195 cases were corrected by means of the conventional method from June of 1992 to June of 1997, and 217 cases were corrected by simultaneous rhinoplasty from July of 1997 to October of 2001. The average patient age was 3 months. Photographs and anthropometric evaluation were used to evaluate the results. Nasal tip projection, columellar length, and nasal width were measured in 60 randomized normal children, 30 randomized children treated with the conventional method, and 30 randomized children with primary nasal repair. Data were analyzed using t tests, and the level of significance was 5 percent (p < 0.05). In cases of simultaneous repair, nasal tip projection and columellar length were increased 24.8 percent and 28.8 percent, respectively. Nasal width was increased 12.3 percent in the cases of simultaneous repair and 12.6 percent in the cases without primary rhinoplasty. Simultaneous repair of cleft lip and nasal deformity in Asian patients showed that more symmetry of nostril and nasal dome projection and better correction of buckling and alar flaring were achieved. More balanced growth and development of the alar complex was achieved, and no interference with nasal growth was encountered.     

Asymmetric incision for open rhinoplasty in cleft lip nasal deformity.

One of the problems in the correction of the unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity is the alar web deformity on the mediosuperior side of the nostril. A number of methods for the correction of the alar web deformity have been introduced, but no single procedure has been identified as the standard. In this report, the incision line of the open rhinoplasty was modified and the alar web deformity was corrected by using an incision and closure. Open rhinoplasty with the asymmetric incision was performed on 18 patients with unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity. The incision line used in the normal side was the usual intranasal rim incision line and that used for the columella was the transcolumella incision line. For the cleft side, an intranasal rim incision line was plotted after the rim was lifted upward with forceps to achieve symmetry of the nasal tip. After removal of the forceps, the incision line of the cleft side was displaced outside the nostril. After such an incision, the alar cartilage mobilization and suspension were performed with or without the conchal cartilage graft. All patients used nasal retainers for 6 months after the procedures. So far, satisfactory results have been obtained with the modification of the incision line for open rhinoplasty. This method is unique in designing the incision line, and its procedure is rather simple. The postoperative follow-up period has been 12 to 26 months. A long-term follow-up is still needed, especially in growing children.     

Nonsurgical correction of nasal deformity in unilateral complete cleft lip: a 6-year follow-up.

Nasal deformity in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients increases with time, tongue malposition being one of the causes. Some authors have emphasized the role of nasal and adjacent facial musculature as active extrinsic agents. Another cause of alar deformity can be the lack of a proper foundation because of a maxillary hypoplasia in the region of the pyriform foramen. If alar collapse occurs, the septum bends convexly toward the cleft side. Tissues are soft and plastic during the neonatal period. Once the infant is about 3 months of age, it becomes difficult to correct the nasal deformity. Therefore, any resource used from the first day, and mainly during the first 15 days of life, will be useful to prevent the increasing deformity and to avoid the surgical correction. A controlled clinical trial was planned to compare the anthropometric measurements of the nasal region in two series of patients with unilateral complete cleft lip. In the first group, we included 44 patients who came to our clinic during the first 2 days of life and the second group consisted of 47 patients who were more than 15 days of age at the time of the first consultation. To provide control data for the evaluation of the results after 6 years of follow-up in both series of cleft patients, we also included a third group of 48 healthy 6-year-old children. A nasal component added to the occlusal prostheses was only used in the first group up to the time of surgery. The same surgeon performed a Millard II procedure with muscular reposition as described by Delaire in all the patients. Nasal measurements taken with a caliper, obtained directly from plaster models by using surface impressions of the babies, were confirmed by a laser three-dimensional measuring device. The statistical comparison between both series showed a significant increase of the columellar length in the first group. A 6-year follow-up to compare growth and cosmetic results of the nose revealed a better and permanent nasal nostril symmetry and no alar cartilage luxation in the patients who had had the nasal component. These results highlight the importance of the early treatment and allow us to suggest the nasal prostheses as a way to prevent the increasing nasal deformity, to help nasal remodeling, to obtain columellar elongation, and to avoid or decrease the need for primary surgery of the cleft nose.     

Primary correction of unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity: a 10-year review

A 10-year follow-up of patients who underwent primary correction of their cleft lip nasal deformity is presented. These are the first 10 consecutive patients who were treated following a change in treatment plan in 1973. Primary correction of the cleft lip nasal deformity essentially consists in elevating the displaced alar cartilage at the time of lip repair. There has been no interference with nasal growth, and the position of the alar cartilages and nasal tip has been maintained.     

Primary correction of the unilateral cleft nasal deformity

An 18-year experience with the management of the unilateral cleft nasal deformity in 1200 patients is presented. A primary cleft nasal correction was performed at the time of lip repair in infancy; a secondary rhinoplasty was done in adolescence after nasal growth was complete. The technical details of the authors' primary cleft nasal correction are described. Exposure was obtained through the incisions of the rotation-advancement design. The cartilaginous framework was widely undermined from the skin envelope. The nasal lining was released from the piriform aperture, and a new maxillary platform was created on the cleft side by rotating a "muscular roll" underneath the cleft nasal ala. The alar web was then managed by using a mattress suture running from the web cartilage to the facial musculature. In 60 percent of cases, these maneuvers were sufficient to produce symmetrical dome projection and nostril symmetry. In the other 40 percent, characterized by more severe hypoplasia of the cleft lower lateral cartilage, an inverted U infracartilaginous incision and an alar dome supporting suture (Tajima) to the contralateral upper cartilage were used. Residual dorsal hooding of the lower lateral cartilage was most effectively managed with this suture. This primary approach to the cleft nasal deformity permits more balanced growth and development of the ala and domal complex. Some of the psychological trauma of the early school years may be avoided. Also, because of the early repositioning of the cleft nasal cartilages, the deformity addressed at the time of the adult rhinoplasty is less severe and more amenable to an optimal final result.     

Radical correction of secondary nasal deformity in unilateral cleft lip patients presenting late

It is universally acknowledged that correction of a cleft lip nasal deformity continues to be a difficult problem. In developing countries, it is common for patients with cleft lip deformities to present in their early or late teens for correction of severe secondary lip and nasal deformities retained after the initial repairs were carried out in infancy or early childhood. Such patients have never had the benefit of primary nasal correction, orthodontic management, or alveolar bone grafting at an appropriate age. Along with a severe nasal deformity, they present with alveolar arch malalignments and anterior fistulae. In the study presented here, a strategy involving a complete single-stage correction of the nasal and secondary lip deformity was used.In this study, 26 patients (nine male and 17 female) ranging in age from 13 to 24 years presented for the first time between June of 1996 and December of 1999 with unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity. Eight patients had an anterior fistula (diameter, 2 to 4 mm) and 12 patients had a secondary lip deformity. An external rhinoplasty approach was used for all patients. The corrective procedures carried out in a single stage in these patients included lip revision; columellar lengthening; repair of anterior fistula; augmentation along the pyriform margin, nasal floor, and alveolus by bone grafts; submucous resection of the nasal septum; repositioning of lower lateral cartilages; fixation of the alar cartilage complex to the septum and the upper lateral cartilages; augmentation of nasal dorsum by bone graft; and alar base wedge resections. Medial and lateral nasal osteotomies were performed only if absolutely indicated. The median follow-up period was 11 months, although it ranged from 5 to 25 months. Overall results have been extremely pleasing, satisfactory, and stable.In this age group (13 years of age or older), it is not fruitful to use a technique for nasal correction that corrects only one facet of the deformity, because no result of nasal correction can be satisfactory until septal deviations and maxillary deficiencies are addressed along with any alar repositioning. The results of complete remodeling of the nasal pyramid are also stable in these patients because the patients' growth was nearly complete, and all the deformities could be corrected at the same time, leaving no active deforming vector. These results would indicate that aesthetically good results are achievable even if no primary nasal correction or orthodontic management had been previously attempted.     

Primary definitive nasal correction in patients presenting for late unilateral cleft lip repair

Almost 25 percent of unilateral cleft lip and palate patients present with their deformity in their teens or later years in the developing world. Because more than 80 percent of the world population lives in the developing world, the established protocol for repair of these deformities is not applicable to these patients. Despite the magnitude, there are no significant reports in the literature that deal with this problem. Several issues need to be addressed, but the author limits himself here to the correction of the nasal deformity. The patients at this age are very much concerned with the aesthetic outcome. Procedures described hitherto for primary nasal correction in infants are not successful in restoring nasal shape and symmetry at this late age of presentation. Our experience with radical correction of secondary nasal deformity in unilateral cleft lip patients presenting late prompted us to extend the concept by undertaking a definitive primary correction of the nasal deformity in cleft patients presenting late. Twenty-two patients with unilateral cleft lip deformity (nine male patients and 13 female patients) with ages ranging from 13 to 22 years, presenting between August of 1997 and December of 2000, are included in this study. Of these, 11 patients had a cleft of the lip alone, eight also had a cleft of the alveolus, and three had a cleft of the palate continuous with the cleft lip. All patients showed some maxillary hypoplasia. An external rhinoplasty with lip repair was carried out in all patients. The corrective procedures on the nose included columellar lengthening; augmentation along the pyriform margin, nasal floor, and alveolus using bone grafts; submucous resection of the nasal septum; repositioning of lower lateral cartilages; and augmentation of nasal dorsum by bone graft. Clinical follow-up ranged from 4 to 24 months, and the median follow-up period was 13 months. Results have been very good, and much better than results seen earlier with other primary rhinoplasty techniques. While repairing unilateral cleft lip in adolescents, the author thinks it would be most appropriate to address the entire gamut of the deformity in a single stage, provide complete vector reorientation, and augment the hypoplastic elements by autologous tissue. It is not just the fear of poor follow-up, but that merely correcting the lip deformity in these patients without attempting definitive rhinoplasty, in the author's opinion, would be insufficient surgical intervention.     

Repair of cleft lip with nonsurgical correction of nasal deformity in the early neonatal period

Auricular cartilage is soft and plastic at birth, so that congenital auricular deformities can easily be corrected nonsurgically in the early neonatal period. However, as the infant grows older, the flexibility of the auricle decreases. Alar cartilage exhibits the same elasticity as auricular cartilage in the early neonate. When a cleft lip is repaired, typically when the infant is about 3 months of age, it becomes difficult to correct the nasal deformity without surgical intervention. However, based on our experience, there is a fair possibility of correcting the cleft lip nasal deformity with a nonsurgical procedure in the early neonatal period. We performed cleft lip repair accompanied by nonsurgical correction of the nasal deformity in 44 neonates aged 2 to 7 days. A special retainer was placed in the affected nostril for 3 months. Following observation of 31 infants for 12 months or longer, their nasal shapes and symmetry were considered superior to those conventionally operated on at about 3 months of age. Except for one nasal infection, there were no complications.     

A comparative study of the skin envelope of the unilateral cleft lip nose subsequent to rotation-advancement and triangular flap lip repairs

The secondary nasal skin envelope asymmetries were studied after unilateral cleft lip repair using the original (obsolete) rotation-advancement (Millard I) and the triangular flap techniques (Bardach's modification). Secondary correction of the nasal deformity was not performed in either group. Our findings indicated that in both groups, vertical asymmetries of the nasal skin envelope were similar. The alar dome on the cleft side was depressed, the columella was shorter on the cleft side, and there was hooding at the nostril apex. The principal difference between the two lip repairs was observed in the horizontal dimension of the nasal skin envelope. The position of the alar base was more normal following the Millard I repair, while the triangular flap repair left the alar base laterally displaced. When considered together with flattening of the cleft alar dome, a horizontal skin-envelope deficiency from middome to lateral alar crease was produced in the Millard I group. More lateral positioning of the alar base after the triangular flap technique minimized this horizontal skin deficiency. The triangular flap technique produced a secondary nasal deformity that looked worse but was easier to correct. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Primary repair of the unilateral cleft lip nose in the Oriental: a 20-year follow-up

The unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity is corrected as a primary procedure with the lip repair. The abnormal attachment of the alar base is first released by an incision along the superior buccal sulcus and piriform margin. There is no intercartilaginous incision. Basically, we use the Brown-McDowell technique with the addition of an alar rim incision. Undermining of the ala between the two incisions is carefully and adequately done, splitting it into two layers. The first is a skin and the second, a chondrocutaneous (vestibular skin) layer, which is handled as a single unit, thus enhancing its vascularity. This second layer is a bipedicle flap with a broad medial pedicle and a narrow lateral pedicle at the alar base. When the alar base is rolled into its normal position, the chondrocutaneous unit hinging on its two pedicles counterrotates, correcting the subluxation of the ala, a major component of the cleft lip nasal deformity. We depend on the normal position of the alar base, the postoperative scar tissue, and the inherently thick nostril wall in the Oriental to keep the alar dome up. No transfixion sutures are used. Ten consecutive patients are shown 20 years after surgery. All had one operation only. None showed any disturbance of nasal growth.     

Definitive repair of the unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity

The majority of patients with a unilateral cleft nasal deformity still benefit from additional nasal surgery in their teenage years, despite having undergone a primary nasal repair. However, the secondary nasal deformity of these patients stands in sharp contrast to those of children who have not benefited from primary repair. The authors' algorithm for the definitive correction of these secondary deformities considers the differences in these two patient groups and defines their indications for rib cartilage grafts and their method of using septal and ear cartilage in the repair. Balancing the muscle forces on the septum and alar cartilage is emphasized in both the primary and secondary repair. Both cartilage malposition and hypoplasia of the lower lateral cartilage complex have been identified as factors contributing to the deformity.     

Primary correction of the unilateral cleft lip nose: a 15-year experience

This paper reviews a 15-year personal experience based on 400 unilateral cleft nasal deformities that were reconstructed using a method that repositions the alar cartilage by freeing it from the skin and lining and shifts it to a new position. The rotation-advancement lip procedure facilitates the exposure and approach to the nasal reconstruction. The nasal soft tissues are transected from the skeletal base, reshaped, repositioned, and secured by using temporary stent sutures that readapt the alar cartilage, skin, and lining. The nasal floor is closed and the ala base is positioned to match the normal side. Good subsequent growth with maintenance of the reconstruction has been noted in this series. The repair does not directly expose or suture the alar cartilage. Improvement in the cleft nasal deformity is noted in 80 percent of the cases. Twenty percent require additional techniques to achieve the desired symmetry. This method has been used by the author as his primary unilateral cleft nasal repair and has been taught to residents and fellows under his direction with good results. This technique eliminates the severe cleft nasal deformity seen in many secondary cases.     

The residual unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity: a three-phase correction technique

The author presents a three-phase correction technique for the residual unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity. This procedure involves a sculpting excision of the alar rim, use of this alar rim as an interpositional flap in lengthening the columella, and augmentation of the nasal tip and perialar sulcus with a free ear conchal cartilage graft. The concept has been incorporated in the revisionary surgery program of 74 patients over a period of 5 years with a minimal follow-up of 2 years. The majority of the patients are operated on between the ages of 5 and 7 years based on the concept of a need for a "tidy appearance" by first grade.     

Simultaneous reconstruction of the secondary bilateral cleft lip and nasal deformity: Abbé flap revisited

The purpose of this retrospective study was to review the method of using the Abbé flap for correction of secondary bilateral cleft lip deformity in selected patients with tight upper lip, short prolabium, lack of acceptable philtral column and Cupid's bow definition, central vermilion deficiency, irregular lip scars, and associated nasal deformity. A total of 39 patients with the bilateral cleft lip nasal deformity received Abbé flap and simultaneous nasal reconstruction during a period of 6 years. Mean patient age at the time of the operation was 19.1 years, and ranged from 6.6 to 38.5 years. The average follow-up period was 1.8 years. Fourteen patients had prior orthognathic operations. The Abbé flap was designed 13 to 14 mm in length and 8 to 9 mm in width and contained full-thickness tissue from the central lower lip, with a slightly narrow reverse-V caudal end. The prolabium, including the scars and central vermilion, was excised. Lengthening procedures of the upper lip segments were performed if vertical deficiency existed. Part of the prolabial skin was preserved and mobilized for columellar elongation, if indicated. Open rhinoplasty was carried out with or without cartilage graft for columella and nasal tip reconstruction. Reduction of the alar width and nostrils was achieved by a Z-plasty or excision of scar tissue at the nostril floor. The Abbé flap was then transposed cephalad, insetting into the median defect and sutured in layers. The results demonstrated no flap problems or perioperative complications. Seven patients needed further minor revisions on the nose and/or lip. Laser treatment was used to improve the lip scars in three patients. The patients were satisfied with the final outcome and found the lower lip scars acceptable. In conclusion, the described technique of Abbé flap and simultaneous rhinoplasty is an effective reconstructive method for select patients with bilateral cleft lip and nasal deformity.     

A rotational method of bilateral cleft lip nose repair

Repairs of the bilateral cleft lip nasal deformity have focused on lengthening the lower columella by adding lip, nasal structure, or a piece of ear. In these methods, the raised true columella worsens the dorsal dislocation of the lateral crura of the alar cartilages and the lateral and dorsal displacement of the alar domes. We believe that lengthening the upper columella from above is more anatomic and reasonable than lengthening the lower columella. A method for reconstructing the upper columella by medial and ventral rotation of the dislocated alar domes is described. Figi's "flying bird" incision was extended to the columellar base along the nostril margin. Through this incision, the lower one-third of the nose, including the alae and nostril floors, was undermined widely. The inner layers, the nostrils, were freed from the surrounding tissues, except in the region of the columella and the septum, and rotated medially in the opposite direction of Cronin's technique. The resulting nasal shape, involving the columellar length and the concavity between the nasal tip and lateral ala, improved in 11 patients.     

Nasal expansion in the fetal lamb: a first step toward management of cleft nasal deformity in utero

The cleft nasal deformity, a combination of malpositioned cartilage and tissue and postrepair scarring, is a difficult problem to correct. To harness the potential of scarless fetal wound healing, in utero repair of cleft lip and palate deformities has been studied but the fetal cleft nose deformity has not been addressed. The purpose of this study was to manipulate the fetal nasal shape in utero as a first step toward restoration of normal nasal form in cleft nasal deformities. To do this, preformed hypertonic sponges were placed into the right nostril of eight fetal lambs during the second trimester (when scarless cutaneous wound repair is known to occur). Then, the size and shape of fetal nasal structures were analyzed after selected time periods (1, 2, and 6 weeks) with measurements, routine histologic examination, and three-dimensional computed tomographic scans of the experimentally expanded noses compared with the control nonexpanded noses of the birth twins or age-matched specimens. Results showed that experimentally expanded nasal structures had markedly increased in septal length measurement, in nostril area (doubled), and in intranasal volume (more than doubled). Histology showed normal cellular elements without scarring in the tissue sections from the expanded nasal areas. In conclusion, the shape of nasal tissue can be manipulated without scarring in second-trimester fetal lambs after placement of a nasal expansion device. This study is an experimental first step toward restoring normal nasal form by repositioning alar cartilages and soft tissue during fetal cleft repair.     

Three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of the primary nasal deformity in 3-month-old infants with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the geometry of the primary cleft lip nasal deformity using three-dimensional computerized tomography in a group of 3-month-old infants with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate before surgical intervention. Coordinates and axes were reconfigured after the three-dimensional image was oriented into neutral position (Frankfurt horizontal, true anteroposterior, and vertical midline). Display and measurement of skin surface and osseous tissues were achieved by adjusting the computed tomographic thresholds. S-N, N-ANS, S-N-O, and S-N-ANS were measured from true lateral views. Biorbital (LO-LO), interorbital (MO-MO), intercanthal (en-en), and nasal (al-al) widths were measured from the anteroposterior view. The bony alveolar cleft width was measured from the inferior view. The study group was divided into two groups on the basis of skeletal alveolar cleft width: six patients with clefts narrower than 10 mm and six patients with clefts wider than 10 mm. Only the S-N-ANS angle differed between the two groups, i.e., it was greater in the group with the wider clefts (p < 0.05). Coordinates of six landmarks at the base of the nose [sellion (se), subnasale (sn), cleft-side and noncleft-side subalare (sbal-cl and sbal-ncl), and the most posterior point on the lateral piriform margins (PPA-CL and PPA-NCL)] were obtained for analysis of the nasal deformity. On average, the subnasale point was anterior to sellion and deviated to the noncleft side; the cleft-side sbal point was more medial, posterior, and inferior than the noncleft-side sbal point; and the PPA point on the cleft-side piriform margin was more lateral, posterior, and inferior than the PPA point on the noncleft side. These discrepancies were not universally observed. However, in all patients, four findings were observed without exception (p < 0.01): (1) subnasale (sn) was deviated to the noncleft side (mean distance from midline, 5.0 mm; range, 2 to 9.5 mm), (2) the cleft-side alar base (sbal-cl) was more posterior than the noncleft-side alar base (sbal-ncl) (mean difference, 3.6 mm; range, 1 to 5.5 mm), (3) the noncleft-side alar base (sbal-ncl) was further from the midline than the cleft-side alar base (sbal-cl) (mean difference in lateral distances of sbal-ncl and sbal-cl from the midline, 2.8 mm; range, 0.5 to 7 mm), and (4) the cleft-side piriform margin (PPA-CL) was more posterior than the noncleft side piriform margin (PPA-NCL) (mean difference, 2.1 mm; range, 0.5 to 4 mm). In conclusion, the nasal deformity in unilateral cleft lip and palate that has not been operated on is characterized by these four features and increased S-N-ANS angle with increased alveolar cleft width.     

Onlay cartilage graft of the alar lateral crus for cleft lip nasal deformities

The onlay cartilage grafting technique is described for treatment of unilateral or bilateral cleft lip nasal deformities. The alar cartilage is exposed through rim and intercartilagenous incisions. The cephalic half of the alar cartilage is excised, similar to the technique of traditional tip rhinoplasty. The harvested cartilage is applied to the intact caudal cartilage in layered fashion and secured with absorbable sutures. If necessary, successive layers may be added. These grafts provide a sturdy, yet delicate framework for a more normal appearing alar rim. We have performed this procedure on 16 patients, ages 10 to 41. Follow-up intervals range from 13 to 40 months, with a mean of 19 months. Results have been rated good-to-excellent by patients and surgeons. There has been no recurrence of the deformity. The only complication has been one nasal vestibule synechia.     

New technique for correction of the microform cleft lip using vertical interdigitation of the orbicularis oris muscle through the intraoral incision

A microform cleft lip has three major components: (1) a minor defect of the upper vermilion border with loss of the mucocutaneous ridge; (2) a narrow ridge of tissue, resembling an exaggerated philtral column extending to the nostril sill; and (3) a deformity of the nostril. To attain the muscle continuity without an external scar on the upper lip, the author introduced a new method for the correction of a microform cleft lip deformity using vertical interdigitation of the orbicularis oris muscle through the intraoral incision to create the philtrum. Through the intraoral incision, a full-thickness incision is made down to the mucosa and the posterior portion of the muscle. Then, the remaining portion of the muscle is dissected. The medial and lateral muscle flaps are also detached from the oral mucosa and completely exposed and split into two leaves. The upper leaf of the lateral muscle flap is sutured to the dermis on the philtral dimple and base of the upper leaf of the medial muscle flap. Two leaves of each muscle flap are sutured together to create a vertical interdigitation to increase the thickness of the philtral column and to provide continuity of the muscle. A total of 12 patients with microform cleft lip were treated between August of 2001 and October of 2002. Seven of the patients were male and five were female, with an age range of 1 to 43 years. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 15 months, with an average follow-up of 9 months. The results of vertical interdigitation of the muscle were examined. All patients were satisfied with their results. The orbicularis oris muscle provided continuity and preserved good function. In all cases, the operation scar was not visible on the depressed philtral groove on the cleft side. Correction of cleft lip nasal deformity was performed in four patients and alar base advancement was performed in two patients. The advantages of the proposed procedure include the creation of an anatomically natural philtrum without an external visible scar through the intraoral incision, preservation of the continuity and function of the muscle, and sufficient augmentation of the philtral column by the vertical interdigitation of the muscle.