Is Postoperative Nasal Stenting Necessary After Primary Cleft Lip and Nose Repair?

The repair of an infant with cleft lip includes treatment of the nasal deformity using surgical repositioning of the nasal cartilages. In some cases, the nose is molded before surgery, termed nasoalveolar molding, and in others, postoperatively with nostril stents for a variable amount of time. This best practice evaluation fails to make a definitive evidence-based conclusion, yet the benefits of stenting seem to outweigh the risks.