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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2015; 42(06): 704-708
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2015.42.6.704
Original Article

Columella Lengthening with a Full-Thickness Skin Graft for Secondary Bilateral Cleft Lip and Nose Repair

Yoon Seok Lee
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Dong Hyeok Shin
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Hyun Gon Choi
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Jee Nam Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Myung Chul Lee
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
,
Soon Heum Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea
,
Cheol Keun Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea
,
Dong In Jo
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea
,
Ki Il Uhm
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Background Various techniques for lengthening short columellae have been used for bilateral cleft nose repair. However, previous methods have not yielded satisfactory results. We performed a full-thickness skin graft to lengthen short columellae during secondary cleft nose repair in adult patients.

Methods Ten bilateral cleft lip and nose patients underwent secondary cheiloplasty with open rhinoplasty between July 2008 and August 2014. The patients underwent a full-thickness skin graft on the medial crura to elongate the columella. The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was 22.2 years. Nasal profiles were evaluated before and after the operation using the photogrammetric method.

Results The nasal profiles were improved in all patients, and all skin grafts were well taken, with the exception of one patient. Columellar height, nostril height, and columella-lip angle increased, and nasal width decreased significantly. The ratios of columellar height to nasal height, columellar height to nasal width, and nasal height to nasal width increased to a statistically significant extent.

Conclusions Columella lengthening with a full-thickness skin graft is a simple and effective method for the repair of severely short columellae in bilateral cleft nose patients. We had satisfactory outcomes, with good color matching and aesthetically pleasing contours.

Keywords

Cleft lip - Nose - Skin transplantation


Publication History

Received: 01 June 2015

Accepted: 01 September 2015

Article published online:
05 May 2022

© 2015. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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