A 60-days-old girl was referred to our department on August 6 1990, for the treatment of a median cleft of the upper lip. She was the second born of a 27-year-old woman, the pregnancy was normal, after 41 weeks of gestation. The parents and their other child were healthy without any hereditary disorder or congenital anomaly. The patient had a specific face, with median cheiloschisis, defect of premaxilla, defect of columella, flat nose, with 16mm as a distance between orbits. At the age of nineteen months (BW 10.8kg), reconstruction of the upper lip with triangular flap was performed.Since this disease used to show unfavorable prognosis, there are different opinions about whether the cheilostomatoplasty should be carried or not. The operation was performed in this case due to the strong desire of her family. However, she suddenly died of respiratory obstruction on May 1, 1992. It suggests that we should be cautions when operating.The triangular flap method was employed in consideration of the degree of invasion necessary for nasal retainer insertion in order to keep the respiratory tract open, leaving some problems in view of tissue defects.