The Surgical Repair of Macrostomia

Background: Many surgical techniques have been described for the repair of macrostomia. However, most were designed for the repair of unilateral macrostomia. Most reports of repairs involved small numbers of patients. This has not allowed for evaluation of complications and comparison of various techniques. Objective: This study describes a modification of an older technique designed for unilateral macrostomia. Details of the operative technique used for the repair are described, along with the principles underlying the various steps. Materials and Methods: This study involves 13 patients operated for macrostomia using the same surgical technique. The patients were seen at a recent screening and mass surgery exercise for patients with orofacial and craniofacial deformities. Results: Eleven patients had bilateral macrostomia; two had unilateral macrostomia. No anesthetic or surgical complications occurred in any of the patients. All patients tolerated the procedure well. Oral continence and acceptable facial symmetry were restored in all patients, with minimal scarring.