Lip reduction surgery is the only sure answer to make large, ungainly or fat lips become normal. This surgery is not invasive but there are some risks and complications that one should know. A patient should go for this type of surgery only after he or she is eighteen years old and the body has matured to its full size. Thick lips make people conscious of themselves which may cause depression.
Lip reduction is a procedure, which removes excess lip tissue and reduces the appearance of overly large lips. The procedure is short and simple, and takes just about fifteen to thirty minutes. It is done on an outpatient basis and the person need not be hospitalized. He can just walk in the hospital, have the operation and go back (with a friend or helper as he may be groggy after the anesthesia). The anesthesia given is local or light sleep inducing. The patient will have monitoring pads on his body to monitor his system during the surgery. The procedure consists of making small incisions in the inner parts of the lips and removing the excess tissue or fat. The wound may then be sutured by non-absorbable stitches, which will be removed after about a week. The patient can go home but has to take adequate rest and care.
There will be bruising and swelling after the surgery. In the hands of a competent and experienced surgeon this may be minimal but it will be there. The doctor will prescribe medications for fast relief and cure. The patient will have to be on special diet for at least seven days till the wound is healed and the sutures removed. He should take care not to tongue the wound. He should not talk too much or move his lips too much until they heal properly which is in about two week’s time.
Although it is a simple procedure there can be complications like asymmetry of lips. Before the surgical procedure, the patient should be in good health, stop medications that are not absolutely necessary, and not smoke at least to weeks prior to the surgery. There should not be any serious health problems. The candidate should also have a stable mental condition, as it is very easy to slip into depression. This surgery and its recovery need patience and stability. Also, he should discus in detail the medical procedure before undergoing it and ask questions to clear his mind. |
