Development of the palatal arch in relation to unilateral cleft lip and palate surgery: a comparison of the effects of different surgical approaches.

Our cases are too small in number to conclude which kind of surgical method retards the maxilla development. But we can say that a maldevelopment of the maxilla may be expected to occur in the case of any surgery performed. In the cleft lip only patients, Millard's method and our method show a better effect than the other methods from the point of view of the retardation of the mid-third of the face. In the group of unilateral cleft lip and palate patients our method may be the best on this point. At the end, we would like to present our typical cases with figures (Figures 4 and 5).