title: Variation trends of the postoperative outcomes for unilateral cleft lip patients by modified Mohler and Tennison-Randall cheiloplasties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate postoperative variation trends of unilateral cleft lip by stages, and to analyze influential factors of nasolabial symmetry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 145 patients with unilateral cleft lip were treated by the modified Mohler or Tennison-Randall technique, and received routine anti-scarring treatment postoperatively. Photogrammetry was applied to respectively measure 5 indices by stages preoperatively, the first week (1 w), the third month (3 m), the sixth month (6 m), and the first year (1 y) postoperatively. Then we calculated the symmetry ratio and drew line charts. Student t tests were used for any group differences; linear regression analysis was used to examine which postoperative stage correlated best with the preoperative stage; cluster analysis was used to classify the severity of the cleft according to preoperative SRsn-cphi, which was used to predict the operative difficulty and to select an appropriate technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Mohler technique yielded a more symmetric result. With the Tennison-Randall technique, the alar base was more lateral and downward, and the lip height on cleft side seemed longer. A stable effect emerged around 1 year after surgery with both techniques. Conspicuous scars appeared at 3 months, most scars gradually fade at 6 months, and the total evolution took around 1 year. Scars from the Mohler technique fluctuated across a larger range. Preoperative SRsn-cphi of the two techniques had statistical significance and was adopted as the basis for cluster analysis. The critical value was 0.670. The Mohler technique attained an almost identical effect in each interval, whereas the Tennison-Randall technique was better in the interval that SRsn-cphi <0.670.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative SRsn-cphi can be the evaluation index of severity; the modified Mohler technique is more broadly applicable to differences in severity than is the Tennison-Randall technique.
authors.affiliation: Oral Department, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Liqi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Oral Department, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Lishu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Oral Department, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Oral Department, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuangui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Oral Department, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Oral Department, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China. Electronic address: cqlwsam2622@163.com.
authors.forename: Wanshan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008046:Lip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010780:Photogrammetry; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Influential factors; Modified Mohler technique; Nasolabial symmetry; Tennison–Randall technique; Unilateral cleft lip; Variation trend