The goal of PLANA therapy is to reduce the initial cleft severity before the primary surgery of the lip and nose by 

1) Approximating the displaced cleft lip segments

2) Approximating the displaced alveolar segments in infants with unilateral cleft and the displaced premaxilla in infants with bilateral clefts

3) Approximating the displaced external nose structures

PLANA uses a NoseAlign©-cleft nose approximation device in combination with medical adhesive tapes to achieve these goals. 

Eliminate the necessity for lip adhesion surgery to narrow the cleft before undergoing definitive reconstructive surgery.

Approximating the cleft lips before surgery will reduce the tension in the lips during the healing, reducing the hypertrophic scar formation (Papathanasiou, Trotman et al. 2017).

Approximating the nasal cartilage during the first three months of life improves the long-term stability of the nasal form (Matsuo and Hirose 1988).

Approximating the displaced alveolar segments, brings the overlying soft tissues closer together, thereby facilitating the closure of the lip and reconstruction of the nose during primary reconstructive surgery.