The cleft lip evaluation profile (CLEP): A new approach for postoperative nasolabial assessment in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate

Abstract

To assess the postoperative results after primary or secondary operation on unilateral cleft lip and nose, various methods have been published, in which qualitative methods are often based on the opinions of an expert panel and the quantitative methods are based on measurements of different landmarks of the lip and nose. Common problems with the present methods are the associated costs, based on the need for advanced techniques and expertise. Our cleft team now present a simplified, inexpensive, and reproducible protocol to evaluate the cosmetic and functional outcome after operations on the cleft lip and nose, together with the patients. Our protocol has been developed as a guideline to evaluate and score six variables of the lip and seven variables of the nose, including scars, projections of the lips and nose, volumes of the lip, and the alae and septum. The protocol contains series of three photographs of each of the variables that present a good postoperative result, an acceptable result, and finally a result with a clearly visible disfigurement. We also tested the reproducibility and validity of the protocol. Plastic surgeons with no knowledge of the index were approached twice and asked to assess a version with photographs in random order. The evaluation protocol is a simple and cost-effective tool for evaluation of the lip or nose, or both, among patients with repaired unilateral complete cleft lip.

Key Words::

• Cleft lip
• surgery
• evaluation protocol

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.