Small-wave plasty for correction of lip length deficiency: a case report

Lip reconstruction may lead to disappointing results due to secondary deformity and visible scars. The Z-plasty in the Tennison technique is an effective method for repairing the upper lip subunits. The main issue is the visible and ungracious scar.

A 38-year-old woman was treated for an upper lip deformity secondary to a dog bite injury. At 1 month after a direct suture, a scar contracture with a defect of Cupid's bow and a vermilion height deficiency occurred. A Tennison procedure was chosen to repair the deformity. A small-wave incision procedure also was considered to minimize visibility of the scar. These two techniques were coupled in a small-wave plasty. The small-wave plasty design was performed with a superior flap base (L1) of 7 mm and a circle arc of 10 mm. The superior height (H1) was 3 mm. The middle flap base (L2) was 4 mm, and the circle arc was 6 mm. The middle height (H2) was 2 mm.

The surgery time was 55 min with the patient under general anesthesia. The skin healing was completed in 10 days without scar contracture. The upper lip subunits were reconstructed with a regular Cupid's bow and a symmetric vermilion height. The scars were slightly visible at 1 month postoperatively. The results were stable after a follow-up period of 12 months. No revision was needed.

The small-wave plasty, which couples a Tennison technique with a small-wave incision procedure, is efficient in reconstructing the subunits of the upper lip after a scar contracture deformity. This method should be used for upper lip reconstruction for minimal scar visibility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .