A Prospective comparative Study of Vermilion repair by Modified Vadvancement Vermilion Flap in Unilateral Cleft Lip Patients

Abstract

Background Oro-facial clefts include a range of congenital deformities most commonly presenting as cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) or isolated cleft palate (CP). CLP is the second most common congenital birth defect in the U.S. Aim of the Work to assess modified v-advancement vermilion flap combined with Tennison technique for vermilion repair in unilateral cleft lip regarding aesthetic outcome in comparison with repair of cleft lip by Tennison technique. Patients and methods This study was conducted in plastic, maxillofacial and reconstructive surgery department in Ain Shams University between September 2019 to February 2020. It included 20 patients divided into two group; the first group consisted of 10 patients who underwent repair of cleft lip by Tennison technique and the second group consisted of 10 patients who underwent repair by Tennison technique combined with v- advancement vermilion flap. Both groups were assessed postoperatively by Asher-McDade et. al. scoring system. Result The study showed statistically significant difference between the two groups as regard the white lip length which was more symmetrical in cases repaired by Tennison technique combined with modified v-advancement vermillion flap (P = 0.01). The bulge and the deficiency in the lateral vermilion were decreased in the group treated by Tennison technique with modified v-advancement vermilion flap. However the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.66). Conclusion The choice of a technique for surgical correction of UCL should be based on an evidence that this technique has the best functional and aesthetic outcomes. The findings of this study support the view that these two methods of cleft lip repair have their own advantages and disadvantages. Tennison technique combined with vadvancement vermilion flap achieved less bulge in the vermilion with no statistically significant difference.