Song, In-Seok;Hong, Jong-Rak;Choung, Pil-Hoon;Seo, Byoung-Moo
67
After Tennison introduced a triangular flap method which, for the first time, preserved the Cupid's bow, Randall gave this method a sound mathematical basis. This method is also called as an inferior triangular cheiloplasty which is characterized by making a small triangular flap from the lateral border of cleft destined to be fitted into an incision on the medial side of cleft. He postulated that the height obtained was equal to the sum of the median of the two triangles used in the cheiloplasty. Using this technique, a 22 month-old male patient with incomplete unilateral cleft lip was corrected primarily. The deviation of the columella and flattening of the nostril on the cleft side were minimal. The operation was done under general anesthesia and patient was healed uneventfully. We tried to improve the symmetry and esthetic feature of philtrum, nostril sill, alar-facial groove, preventing the notch formation on the nostril floor, and to reconstruct the muscle sling in the upper part of lip. The shape of Cupid's bow was restored, and the symmetry of columella was regained as a result. In summary, the inferior triangular cheiloplasty is effective to correct the primary unilateral cleft lip, results in the restoration of favorable anatomy and function.