Combined correction of cleft nose & secondary cleft lip with Abbe-Flap technique

A boy born with cleft lip and palate was previously operated for lip and palate defect with pre-maxillary setback and alveolar reconstruction using rhBMP-2. The boy now 11 years old reported to our hospital seeking specialized treatment for his nose and lip defect. The central part of his upper lip was very thin and his upper and lower lip did not meet properly. He also had some difficulty in pronouncing certain words. The lip along with the nose defect affected the boy’s appearance.

Maxillofacial Surgeon Dr. S.M. Balaji performed a combined procedure to correct the nose and lip defect in a single surgery.

The sides and tip of the nose were reshaped by reconstructing the cartilage and skin that attached the nose to the upper lip. Surgical reconstruction of the upper lip was done using a technique called Abbe-Flap. The measurement of the upper lip defect was noted & a flap of tissue of the same size was taken from the lower lip and sutured to the central portion of the upper lip in such a way that the base of the flap was still attached to the lower lip. With this technique, skin, muscle, mucosa, blood vessels, even hair follicles to facilitate growth of moustache, were transferred from the lower to upper lip. After 2 weeks, the flap will be divided and precise form and function will be restored to the upper lip.  

We will update this page soon with photographs showing postoperative results after flap division.