Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate the symmetry and stability of nasolabial area of unilateral complete cleft lip (UCCL) after primary repair with the method of rotation descent step by step. METHODS: Thirty patients with UCCL who were operated on were photographed before, 1 week after and 1 year after surgery, the distances from alare point (al), sub alare point (sba), christa phlitri point (cph) and chelion point (ch) to the facial vertical midline (VML) were measured and compared with the opposite side by paired t test. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 19.0 software package. RESULTS: There were significant differences in al, sba and cph between the cleft side and non-cleft side before(P<; 0.05) and 1 week after surgery; significant differences were found in al, sba and ch between the affected and unaffected side (P<; 0.05); but 1 year after surgery, there was no significant difference between the two sides except sba. After surgery, all the distances from VML were less than those before surgery. There was no significant difference in symmetry rate between 1 week and 1 year after surgery for all the points except sba. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the method of rotation descent step by step is very helpful in reconstruction of lip symmetry, but primary repair can not achieve full recovery of nasal symmetry.

Key words: Rotation descent step by step, Unilateral complete cleft lip, Facial symmetry