Use of Cleft Margin Flap With Anterior Palatal Closure for Closure of Naso-alveolar Defect During Primary Cleft Lip Repair (Pilot Study).

Cleft margin flap (that was discarded in the modified Millard's technique for cleft lip repair) with anterior palatal closure will be used during primary cleft lip repair in patients who were born with cleft lip and palate in an attempt to close the Naso-alveolar fistula (defect) that usually occur and remain in those patients post-operatively and this will be assessed in the predetermined follow up period.

Interventions:

General operative procedures

Eligible patients will be included in the study group:

• With the patient supine, general anesthesia will be induced, An uncuffed, oral, right angle endotracheal tube (RAE) will be placed and taped in the midline to the chin.
• The tube is further immobilized with a mouth pack.
• Head ring and shoulder rolls are placed. Sterile tapes will be placed over the closed eyelids. The face is prepared and draped.
• Reference points will be marked using brilliant green dye on a sharpened applicator stick.
• After careful marking, Approximately 3ml of 1% lidocaine with 1:200000 Epinephrines will be injected into the lip and alar base for homeostasis governed by heart rate of the patient.
• The lateral lip flap will first elevated with mucosal incision using number 15 blade scalpel at the gingivo-labial sulcus on the oral side and the release of the lateral lip segments will be achieved by dissecting over the lateral maxilla in the supra-periosteal plane.
• After this, a scalpel will be used to provide 1-2 mm of release of the skin from the underlying orbicularis oris muscle. This facilitates a 3 layer closure of mucosa, orbicularis oris muscle, and dermis. Then, the soft tissue attachments of the nasal base are separated from the piriform aperture. When the nasal dissection is complete, the surgeon is ready for closure of the lip deformity.
• Vomerine flap is done by doing incision on palatal side of the maxilla and vomer bone, then elevating mucoperiosteal flap on hard palate & undermining palatal mucosa.
• Closure of nasal lining.
• Mucosal flap obtained from part of the cleft near the lip was used as an inferior-based local flap. This flap was sutured to the anterior end of the mucoperiosteal flaps of the palate after it was passed from the alveolar cleft. The gingival mucosa on the alveolar cleft part was de-epithelialized, and lateral suturing of the flap was completed. In this way, not only the alveolar cleft but also the anterior palate cleft was corrected in this session.
• Skin hooks will be used to oppose the lip segments together to ensure that there is adequate release and minimal tension across the cleft wound. If too much tension exists, further dissection laterally or medially over the maxilla and superiorly along the bony piriform may be performed.
• Closure begins with 4-0 vicryl resorbable sutures placed in simple interrupted manner with the buried knots, to reconstituting the orbicularis oris muscular sphincter.