Augmentation cheiloplasty by using mucomuscular flaps

If one excludes the controversial use of silicone injections and the not fully researched new biomaterials for implant (e.g., Gore-Tex), there are no lip augmentation techniques that give stable and lasting results. Collagen and dermal or fascial grafts are almost always reabsorbed. Local flaps (either W or V/Y) give only a slight outward protrusion of the lips and do not increase volume and therefore have negligible cosmetic impact. In plastic surgery flap rotation is standard practice when the objective is stable tissue reconstruction. We feel that this technique achieves lasting increases in lip volume. Therefore, we propose the rotation of a mucous-muscle flap obtained from the inner cheek wall or from the other lip, the fulcrum of which is the labial commissure. The surgical technique is given in detail here together with the results and complications of 28 cases.