Comparison of the Fisher Anatomical Subunit and Modified Millard Rotation-Advancement Cleft Lip Repairs.

BACKGROUND

When analyzing cleft lip repair techniques, the modified rotation-advancement repair is most widely used; however, the anatomical subunit approach is gaining popularity. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of these two surgical techniques performed by the same surgeon.

METHODS

Anthropometric measurements were performed on postoperative photographs of cleft lip repairs performed by a single surgeon. As described by Rossell-Perry, four parameters were measured: lip height, lip width, vermilion height, and alar base width. An aesthetic ratio of cleft to noncleft sides for each measurement was used as a quantitative measure of outcome. Qualitative analysis of cleft lip repair was evaluated using the Steffensen criteria.

RESULTS

TWELVE: modified rotation-advancement repairs and 10 anatomical subunit repairs were analyzed. A one-sample t test was used to assess the difference of each aesthetic ratio from the perfect ratio of 1.00. For repairs involving an incomplete cleft lip, statistically significant asymmetry was detected in vermilion height for the rotation-advancement repair and no measurements in the anatomical subunit approach. For repairs involving a complete cleft lip, statistically significant asymmetry was detected in lip height, vermilion height, and alar base for the rotation-advancement repair and in lip height for the anatomical subunit approach.

CONCLUSIONS

THE AUTHORS': findings show that when separating the complete and incomplete cleft lips, the rotation-advancement technique seemed to have asymmetry in more parameters than the anatomical subunit approach. This seems to suggest that the outcomes of the anatomical subunit technique are less dependent on cleft lip severity.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.