Evaluation of the Millard technique associated with zetaplasty in the treatment of patients with unilateral cleft lip

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cleft lips are very common congenital deformities that affect, in varying degrees, the soft tissues and bone structures of the middle third of the face. Surgical treatment should be performed early and a protocol must be followed, which varies according to the reference center. There are numerous surgical techniques for lip repair, and among them, the Millard technique is the most used. The objective is to evaluate the association of the Millard type I with zetaplasty mucosal technique (used by the author) as the surgery of choice for primary lip repair in patients with unilateral cleft lip, and to understand whether the techniques are appropriate when the number of second surgeries (reoperation) is low. METHODS: Sixty-five patients underwent operations by this technique from January 2007 to December 2012 in Santos, all of whom were followed for at least four years. RESULTS: Of the 65 patients, 10 (15%) were considered to present "unsatisfactory results" and underwent reoperation. CONCLUSION: Primary cheiloplasty with zetaplasty-associated Millard type I is appropriate when the number of reoperations is low, and our results agree with the current literature.

Keywords

• cleft lip
• reconstructive surgical procedures
• congenital abnormalities