The V.L.S. classification for secondary deformities in the unilateral cleft lip.

A classification designed to be used as a simple and reproducible method to evaluate the residual lip deformities following unilateral cleft lip repair is presented. It was developed by analysing the appearance of the upper lips of 81 patients referred to the author with repaired unilateral clefts. The assessment of each lip was divided into 3 separate components: the vermilion (V), the lip itself (L), and the scar (S), and the resulting classification was termed the V.L.S. classification.