There are three types of cheiloplasty: aesthetic, reconstructive, reduction.

• asymmetry of the lips;
• small volume of lips;
• prolapse of the corners of the mouth;
• the presence of pronounced wrinkles on the upper lip.

Reconstructive cheiloplasty eliminates the following problems:

• congenital flaws;
• consequences of lip injuries;
• scarring of the corners of the mouth;
• excessively enlarged lower lip;
• appearance of neoplasms: cysts, papillomas.

Reconstructive cheiloplasty is resorted to when aesthetic cheiloplasty does not give the desired prolonged results or imperfections in the lip area are significant and require more drastic measures.

Reduction cheiloplasty involves lip reduction and is recommended for unsuccessful lip augmentation in the past.

A plastic surgeon can determine the need for surgical intervention at a face-to-face consultation after diagnosing the patient's anatomical capabilities, establishing the likely aesthetic effectiveness and identifying the presence or absence of contraindications in the patient.

Type of anesthesia

Cheiloplasty can be performed under sedation (intravenous administration of a sedative) or under local local anesthesia. The choice of anesthesia method depends on the duration and volume of surgical actions, on the physiological characteristics of the patient's body and the recommendations of the operating doctor.

Duration of surgery: 1 hour.

1. Disinfection. The patient's skin is disinfected with an antiseptic solution.
2. Marking. Apply marking in the lip area, according to which incisions will be made.
3. Anesthesia. The patient is introduced into a medicated sleep (sedation) or locally anesthetizes the zone with a special anesthetic.
4. Excision of flaps. Focusing on the marking, the surgeon makes an incision and excises excess tissue, raises the red border of the upper lip and fixes in the desired position.
5. Suturing. At the end of the procedure, the patient is sutured, which are removed after 5-7 days.

The operation does not require the patient to be in the hospital, he can immediately go home. In the postoperative period (the first 7-14 days), swelling of tissues, bleeding, redness, pain and there is a risk of hematomas can be observed. During this period, subject to all the recommendations of the surgeon, the skin grows together, the postoperative scar itself is completely regenerated after 2 months.

The patient after cheiloplasty should:

• refuse active mimic activity;
• abandon products that require active work of the masticatory muscles;
• refuse hot dishes and drinks;
• exclude staying in direct sunlight and visiting a solarium;
• prevent active physical exertion;
• eliminate smoking.

The final result of cheiloplasty can be assessed 3 months after the intervention. Correction of the upper lip and the area above it using injection methods (contour plastics and lipofilling) give a result limited by the timing of the introduction of the drug (filler or own fatty material) in the patient's body. As a rule, fillers are excreted by the lymphatic system after 6-10 months, own adipose tissue - after 10-24 months. The effectiveness after surgery persists for decades and in rare cases, patients resort to repeated correction.