Harelip surgery in ancient China: further investigations.

The various statements of medical historians concerning harelip surgery in Ancient China have been studied with the help of eminent historians and based on reliable documents. The text of the Chin Shu adds a very important contribution to our knowledge of ancient cleft lip repair: the first use of the word harelip, the first short but rather accurate description of the operation and the postoperative care, and the social and psychological impact of facial disfigurement. The assertion regarding Fang Kan as the doctor of lip repair during the T'ang Dynasty turned out to be completely erroneous. Fang Kan was a poet whose life and lack of acceptance were dominated by his external appearance: a harelip deformity that was operated on late in life.