Assessment of Nasolabial Aesthetics in Treated UCLP Patients: A Photographic Evaluation

Esthetic evaluation of cleft lip and palate rehabilitation outcomes can assist in the development of new surgical interventions and aid in the betterment of CLP patients. The present study aimed at aesthetic assessment of the nasolabial region in subjects already undergone treatment for unilateral cleft lip and palate. In this retrospective study, 28 patients between 15-30 years of age, who had been already treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate, were evaluated from the extraoral frontal and profile photographs, all cropped and arranged according to the Aesthetic Index and evaluated by 4 groups of observers based upon their experience. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 22.0 (Windows) Software.A maximum of the analyzed subjects received the low mean nasolabial aesthetic score. Interrater analysis revealed high to moderately reliable assessments made by both experienced and inexperienced professionals. The interrater comparison showed experienced professionals provided a higher score in comparison to inexperienced professionals. Results of our study concluded that overall acceptable to poor nasolabial esthetics exist among the UCLP patients even after undergoing various primary and secondary surgeries. Experience with the CLP and outcome had been found to be a cofounding factor affecting the perception ratings of such patients.