title: Columella Lengthening with a Full-Thickness Skin Graft for Secondary Bilateral Cleft Lip and Nose Repair.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various techniques for lengthening short columellae have been used for bilateral cleft nose repair. However, previous methods have not yielded satisfactory results. We performed a full-thickness skin graft to lengthen short columellae during secondary cleft nose repair in adult patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten bilateral cleft lip and nose patients underwent secondary cheiloplasty with open rhinoplasty between July 2008 and August 2014. The patients underwent a full-thickness skin graft on the medial crura to elongate the columella. The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was 22.2 years. Nasal profiles were evaluated before and after the operation using the photogrammetric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nasal profiles were improved in all patients, and all skin grafts were well taken, with the exception of one patient. Columellar height, nostril height, and columella-lip angle increased, and nasal width decreased significantly. The ratios of columellar height to nasal height, columellar height to nasal width, and nasal height to nasal width increased to a statistically significant extent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Columella lengthening with a full-thickness skin graft is a simple and effective method for the repair of severely short columellae in bilateral cleft nose patients. We had satisfactory outcomes, with good color matching and aesthetically pleasing contours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hyeok
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Gon
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Nam
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Heum
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Keun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong In
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Il
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Uhm
keywords: Cleft lip; Nose; Skin transplantation