Rhinoplasty Q&A
80%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers
that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not.
See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings
or Add Your Review

View Before and Afters
Average Rhinoplasty Cost: $5,975
Learn about Rhinoplasty
5,053 people and 803 doctors are talking about Rhinoplasty
Get Free Email Updates
Necessary To Cut Upper Lip Muscle
asked 10 months ago by freshoutofsurgery
Latest answer by Ramtin Kassir, MD
Question viewed 204 times
Tags: cut, muscle, upper lip
Is it necessary for upper lip muscle to be cut? If it doesn't , would it result in a drooping tip or displaced cartilage tip grafts during facial animation or tension?
6 answers to Necessary To Cut Upper Lip Muscle
+1
Cutting Depressor Nasi Muscle
The depressor nasi muscle is cut to minimize the inferior rotation of the tip with smiling or facial animation. There is little risk with this procedure. It is not necessary but discuss this alternative with your surgeon before the operation.
+1
Necessary To Cut Upper Lip Muscle (depressor septi)
Yes, in droopy noses that droop even more when smiling, cutting the depressor septi muscles is necessary to acheve proper tip rotation and positioning.
Ramtin Kassir, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1
Lip
Cutting the upper lip muscles is not a routine part of rhinoplasty. I do it when people complain hat there tip drops when smiling. This procedure must be acompanied by a good tip support procedure
+1
Cutting the depressor nasi muscle
Although it is hard to comment without seeing your pictures, cutting the depressor nasi muscle is not always necessary to lift and stabilize the tip of the nose
see photos
+1
Cutting the muscle can help
Cutting the muscle does prevent the tip to rotate downward with facial animation like smiling. This is a big issue for some patients who tell me they don't like the way they look in photographs or profile pictures. Cutting the muscle is a technique I discuss with patients pre operatively, but I give them a choice as to whether it will be done. There are few draw backs or potential risks to the procedure except for post op swelling.
Daniel Sherick, MD
Ann Arbor Plastic Surgeon
Ann Arbor Plastic Surgeon
+1
Is it necessary to cut upper lip muscle during Rhinoplasty
No, it's not necessary, nor a set part of a Rhinoplasty to cut or even to dissect the upper lip muscles unless part of the Rhinoplasty plan is to place cartilage or some other graft material to fill in a retracted columella. Similarly, when the upper lip is dissected in that manner...it should not decrease the tip support. Dissecting in this space can however, create additional space for batton and strut grafts to fall into if they are not secured with tissue glue or...
more


