Lips provide expressions to your face. Whether you are happy, sad, excited or worried, every emotion is expressed through your lips. This intricate structure is also imperative for swallowing and normal speech. Many of our patients come from all areas of Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Norwalk, Greenwich or Avon, who have a deficit or abnormality in their lips and benefit from Dr. Stanislaw’s lip reconstruction procedure.
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Which lip conditions benefit from reconstruction?
There are many conditions that could benefit from a lip reconstruction such as trauma, congenital deformities, removal of cancerous lesions, or paralysis of facial nerve. Any patient who has suffered trauma to their lips, for example a dog bite or laceration, must be treated immediately. In those patients who have had cancerous lesions, lip reconstruction should be a part of the complete management of their treatment.
Dr. Stanislaw is an expert at lip reconstruction caused by these conditions. He will discuss all the options available for repairing any deformity with you in detail during your consultation.
Some frequently asked questions regarding lip deformities and reconstruction
Q. What type of anesthetic will be used during my reconstruction?
A. The kind of anesthesia depends on the kind of reconstruction. If it is a minor procedure, like a direct closure or a local flap, this can be performed in the office and a local anesthesia is used. For complicated procedures involving larger defects, an operating room is required and it is carried out under general anesthesia.
Q. What are the options for “Whistler lip” deformities?
A. This is a deformity resulting in the notching of the center of the upper lip. This happens following a cleft lip repair or a central upper lip defect repair. The reason for this deformity is due to missing soft tissue. During the repair of this, either small local flaps can be used or filler injections, like Juvederm or Restylane, can help.
Q. During the repair of a lip defect, what refers to the Abbe Estelander flap?
A. During the repair of a defect of the upper lip, tissue is used from the lower lip and vice versa. This lip switch method is termed as the Abbe Estelander flap. This is a perfect technique in cases where more than half of the lip is affected by the defect. The repair is completed in two treatments, which are at least two weeks apart.
Q. What is the Karapandnzic flap reconstruction?
A. This is the lip reconstruction technique used when more than seventy-five percent of the lip is affected by the defect. The technique involves using circular flaps from around the patient’s mouth for repair. The vascular and nerve supply of the remaining lip is preserved during this reconstruction, allowing for the patient to resume lip functionality immediately.
If you or a family member is also looking for repair of a lip deformity, contact us today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stanislaw to learn more about the options available to you.
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