Alar cartilage-muscle rings in repairing the unilateral severe cleft lip

Objective: To discuss an effective method of cheiloplasty for postoperative nasal deformity after unilateral severe cleft lip.Methods: Seventy-six patients with secondary cleft lip nasal deformity were repaired with alar cartilage-muscle rings by remov al of the points of theattachment of the nasal columella basement through a V-Y incision andimplant ation of an autologous rib cartilage tissue around the piriform aperture The short-and long-term responses were observed.Results: All got primary healings.Followed up for 12-38 months,the apex of nose,nasal ala,nostrils and nasal columella produced satisfied outlines.Conclusions: Alar cartilage-muscle ring is hypoplastic,which results in nasal myosthenic disequilibrium.Reconstruction of the alar cartilage-muscle ring plays a key role in the correction of nasal deformities for cleft lip patients.