Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Volume 63, Issue 3 , Pages e248-e252, March 2010

One-stage vermilion switch flap procedure for the correction of thin lips in patients with bilateral cleft lips

  • Tomoki Oyama

      Affiliations

    • Department of Plastic Surgery, Kobe Children's Hospital, 1-1-1 Takakuradai Suma-ku, Kobe, Japan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +81 78 732 6961; fax: +81 78 735 0910.
    • ,
  • Yuki Yoshimura

      Affiliations

    • Department of Plastic Surgery, Kobe Children's Hospital, 1-1-1 Takakuradai Suma-ku, Kobe, Japan
    • ,
  • Motohiro Onoda

      Affiliations

    • Department of Plastic Surgery, Kobe Children's Hospital, 1-1-1 Takakuradai Suma-ku, Kobe, Japan
    • ,
  • Ko Hosokawa

      Affiliations

    • Department of Plastic Surgery, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka Suitaa-city, Osaka, Japan

Received 19 February 2009; accepted 2 June 2009. published online 06 July 2009.

Summary 

In this article, we describe the operative method for correction of thin lips in patients with bilateral cleft lips. Two transverse triangular flaps were designed in the lower vermilion and elevated along with the labial arteries and the surrounding tissues. These flaps were inserted into the recipient site on the upper vermilion through the subcutaneous tunnels at the oral commissure through a one-stage process; the donor site was closed directly.

Two patients with bilateral cleft lip underwent this operation for thin lips, and satisfying results with less morbidity were obtained. The upper lip retained its volume postoperatively, and the donor-site scar was inconspicuous.

Our method enabled both the augmentation of the upper vermilion and the reduction of the lower vermilion in a one-stage procedure.

Keywords: Thin lips, Vermilion switch flap, Inferior labial flap, Bilateral cleft lips

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PII: S1748-6815(09)00446-X

doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2009.06.004

Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Volume 63, Issue 3 , Pages e248-e252, March 2010

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