Analysis of secondary deformities of the lip and nose in children after primary unilateral cheiloplasty

The aim of the study was a comprehensive investigation of the morphological and functional features of secondary deformities of the lip and nose in children after primary unilateral cheiloplasty and the identification of the key structural manifestations. The study was carried out in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery of the National Children’s Specialised Hospital “Okhmatdyt” in Kyiv from 2023 to 2025, within which 57 children with unilateral clefts were examined, with assessment of the parameters of three anatomical zones (upper lip, nose and oral vestibule) in the long-term period after primary cheiloplasty performed in other medical institutions. As a result of the study, it was established that secondary postoperative changes in the nasolabial region were observed in all children (100%), among whom aesthetic deformities were detected in 57.9% and anatomical defects in 42.1%. Moderate forms of severity predominated (47.4%), whereas mild forms accounted for 31.6% and severe forms for 21.0%. The most frequent morphological changes of the upper lip were asymmetry of Cupid’s bow (80.7%), cicatricial changes (73.7%) and reduction of philtral height (66.7%), which were combined with impaired mobility in 50.9% of children. In the structure of the nose, asymmetry of the alae (77.2%), deformities of the columella (68.4%) and hypoplasia of the alar cartilage (63.1%) predominated. In the oral vestibule, common findings were reduction of depth (61.4%), scarring of the mucosa (70.2%) and oronasal communications (29.8%). A correlation was found between the severity of cicatricial changes and the reduction in vestibular depth (r=0.62; p=0.008), indicating the systemic nature of the secondary disturbances. The results obtained confirmed that secondary deformities of the nasolabial region after primary cheiloplasty are systemic in nature, with a predominance of aesthetic disturbances of moderate severity. The data can be used by surgeons, orthodontists, and speech therapists for planning reconstructive and rehabilitation interventions in children