Influence of Severity on Aesthetic Outcomes of Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair in 1,823 Patients

Background: Although efforts to improve access to care for patients with cleft lip in the developing world have grown tremendously, there is a dearth of data regarding aesthetic outcomes after cleft lip repairs in this setting. Defining severity-outcome relationships has the potential to improve efficiency of care delivery in resource-limited settings, and to improve overall results. In this study, we investigate the relationship between initial cleft lip severity and early aesthetic outcomes following surgical repair of primary unilateral cleft lip.