Effect of Y-shaped Nasal Columella Made of Autologous Cartilage in Secondary Nasal Deformity after Cleft Lip Surgery

AIM: Due to the diversity and complexity of tissues involved in secondary nasal deformities following unilateral cleft lip, secondary nasal deformity correction surgeries are challenging and often yield unsatisfactory results, posing a difficult problem for plastic surgeons. Autologous cartilage, with its low sculpting difficulty, minimal absorption, and stable tissue compatibility, is considered the optimal material for reconstructing the columella, nasal tip, and alar. This study analyzed the clinical outcomes of using autologous cartilage to create a Y-shaped columella to correct secondary nasal deformities after cleft lip surgery. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 75 patients with secondary nasal deformity after unilateral cleft lip surgery were treated from January 2018 to December 2023. Appropriate costal cartilage, auricular cartilage, and iliac crest cartilage were fashioned into Y-shaped stents and implanted into the nasal columella of the patients to strengthen the tip cartilage. The free alar cartilage was sutured and fixed with a Y-shaped bracket. The wound healing rate, subjective satisfaction evaluation, and complications were analyzed. The nasal appearance, nasal deformity classification, and objective indices of healthy and affected nasal sides, function, and quality of life were compared before and after the operation. RESULTS: All patients healed well during the first stage without related complications, and the average incision healing time was 5.16 ± 1.37 days. The scores of nasal tip position, nasal tip shape, nostril shape, nasal dorsum shape, and nasal floor shape at 6 months post-operation were significantly lower compared to pre-operation (p < 0.001). The grade of nasal deformity at 6 months post-operation was lower than the pre-operation (p < 0.001). Pre-operation, the nasal base and nasal width of the affected side were higher than those of the healthy side, while the nasal columellar and nostril height were lower (p < 0.001). At 6 months post-operation, the nasal base and nasal width decreased, and the nasal columellar and nostril height increased (p < 0.001), with no significant difference between the two sides (p > 0.05). The nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) and Functional Rhinoplasty Outcome Inventory-17 (FROI-17) scores at 6 months post-operation were significantly lower than pre-operation, while the rhinoplasty outcome evaluation (ROE) score was higher (p < 0.001). The total patient satisfaction was 97.33% (73/75). CONCLUSIONS: Y-shaped nasal columella made of autologous cartilage can effectively correct secondary nasal deformity after cleft lip surgery, improve nasal alar collapse, lengthen nasal columella, elevate nasal end, enhance the quality of life, nasal appearance, and nasal ventilation function of patients, with high satisfaction and few complications.