Rapid Intraoperative Fabrication of an Inexpensive, Reliable Nasal Stent for Use After Primary Cleft Nasal Repair

Nasal stents are frequently used to maintain corrected nostril shape following primary cleft lip and nasal repair. Various stents have been described, but they are often cumbersome to generate, expensive, or difficult to retain. The author describes a rapid, effective, and inexpensive alternative to previously described commercially available or molded nasal stents whereby a nasal stent is fabricated from a pediatric nasal oxygen cannula. All patients in whom this stent has been used to date tolerated it well with no complication and with good maintenance of nostril shape at a minimum of 6 months follow-up.