Comparison of muscle reconstruction techniques with versus without primary rhinoplasty in unilateral incomplete cleft lip repair.

This study aimed to compare the outcomes of different muscle reconstruction techniques with or without primary rhinoplasty (PR) in unilateral incomplete cleft lip repair patients. The study included 73 patients, with 36 patients undergoing traditional reconstruction techniques and 37 patients receiving the novel reconstruction technique. All patients wore nasal molds for 1 year after the primary surgery. Nasal and labial symmetry was evaluated using 12 indicators, based on two-dimensional photographs taken preoperatively, at 7 days postoperatively, and at 3-year follow-ups. The results at 7 days postoperatively indicated that the novel reconstruction method showed superior nasal symmetry in terms of nostril width ratio (p < 0.001) and nasal base ratio (p = 0.010) compared with the traditional reconstruction method. The 3-year follow-up results demonstrated that the novel reconstruction method also achieved better nasal symmetry in terms of nostril height ratio (p = 0.045), nostril width ratio (p = 0.023), nasal base ratio (p = 0.012), and columellar angle (p = 0.038) than the traditional reconstruction method. Both techniques performed equally well in terms of labial symmetry. In conclusion, although without PR, the novel muscle reconstruction technique showed better long-term outcomes and more significant improvements in nasal symmetry compared with traditional repair using the Tajima technique.