Secondary correction of bilateral cleft lip deformity with simultaneous Abbé flap and nasal repair

Abstract

For secondary repair of a bilateral cleft lip deformity with a short columella and defective upper lip, simultaneous correction of the lip and nose is ideal. We perform a nasal repair through a bilateral reverse-U incision and columella elongation using the upper lip. An Abbé flap is then transferred to the upper lip defect. This procedure enables total reconstruction of characteristic bilateral cleft lip deformities in one stage. We have applied this method to 15 patients (9 males and 6 females) with an average age of 18.7 years. Although some patients need jaw surgery, all have been satisfied with the results.