These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Correction of secondary cleft lip deformity: the whistle flap procedure.
    Author: Grewal NS, Kawamoto HK, Kumar AR, Correa B, Desrosiers AE, Bradley JP.
    Journal: Plast Reconstr Surg; 2009 Nov; 124(5):1590-1598. PubMed ID: 20009846.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The Kapetansky flap was described to repair a whistle deformity or central vermilion defect following a primary bilateral cleft lip repair. The authors studied a modification of this technique, called the Whistle (wide-hinged island swing transposition labial enhancement) flap, to correct a wide array of secondary cleft lip deformities. METHODS: Patients with secondary cleft lip deformity who underwent the Whistle flap correction were studied (n = 21). Vertical lip height, lateral lip projections, and three-dimensional volumetric measurements were recorded along with physician and parent-patient satisfaction surveys. RESULTS: From 1994 to 2006, 23 Whistle flap procedures were performed on 21 cleft lip patients (bilateral, n = 13; unilateral, n = 8). The average age at surgery was 15.4 years (range, 13 to 21 years). The average follow-up was 27.6 months. The vertical height of the cleft side Cupid's bow to vermilion bottom had a mean increase of 164 percent. Lateral projection of the upper lip showed a mean increase of 117 percent. Preoperatively, patients exhibited mean volumetric asymmetry of 29.4 percent, and this was reduced following treatment to approximately 3.1 percent. Physician satisfaction using a modified Whitaker classification (categories I through IV) demonstrated that 56 percent of patients were category I (no refinements necessary) and 44 percent were category II (minor revisions are advisable). Parent-patient satisfaction in the follow-up period was a mean of 3.5 as measured using a five-point scale ranging from 0 to 4. There were minimal perioperative complications. CONCLUSION: The Whistle flap procedure provided a versatile and reliable option for the correction of vermilion defects from secondary cleft lip deformities.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]