Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the postoperative outcomes of the correction of secondary nasal deformity associated with unilateral cleft lip with autologous iliac cartilage graft, we try to find a new source of cartilage graft for nasal deformity.
Methods: The operation to graft autologous iliac cancellous bone to treat alveolar cleft and cartilage to repair nasal deformity was performed simultaneously in 17 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate with complex nasal deformities from 2020 to 2021. Patient satisfaction, two-dimensional linear quantitative and three-dimensional radiographic results after the surgery were used to evaluate the effect of the surgery.
Results: Satisfactory effectiveness was achieved in all 17 patients after the operation. Seventeen patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months and presented symmetrical nostrils, higher nasal tip and natural nasal shape. Only two patients exhibited red nasal tips and abscess formation, which were cured by mupirocin ointment. Moreover, there was no endochondral ossification in the 17 patients after the operation.
Conclusions: Correcting the secondary nasal deformity associated with unilateral cleft lip with autologous iliac cartilage graft is feasible. It provides a new source of cartilage to avoid adding a new operative approach for cartilage obtaining and reduces the financial burden on patients' families. As for the positive results of this treatment, it is worth being widely used in clinical practice.
Key Words: autologous iliac cartilage, secondary nasal deformity, unilateral cleft lip, simultaneous correction