Twenty-five patients with isolated unilateral cleft lip took part in a foll
ow-up study at a mean age of 28.6 years. All had had a primary, Millard lip
repair, at a mean age of 4.6 months. In 20 patients, at least one secondar
y correction had been undertaken during adolescence. The overall long-term
outcome was thought to be good, leaving a fairly inconspicuous fine lip sca
r and acceptable nose configuration. In half the patients, however, the lip
was slightly elongated and the nostrils were still asymmetrical. These fin
dings concurred with the patients' subjective assessments, which showed tha
t appearance of the lip and nose were rated good by 20 (80%) and 16 (64%),
respectively. The findings of this study provide a baseline for future eval
uation of the results achieved with lip closure by Johanson's technique.