Rhinoplasty: Q&A

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Is It Routine to Cut the Levator Labii Superioris Alaeque Nasi Muscle?

My doctor compromised my levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle during rhinoplasty.Is this a routine procedure and if so can it be reversed? It has changed the looks as well as the dynamics of my face when I speak and chew.I have to contract my muscles of my nose(scrunch my nose as if I smell something bad)in order to make my my facial muscle to feel and move the way they used to.Espically when I eat or else my upper lip moves too far below & under my upper teeth and makes it hard to chew.

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muscle technique

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by 11704 in Lindenhurst

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Change in facial expression following Rhinoplasty

It would be quite unusual to cut the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle during rhinoplasty surgery as these muscles are quite lateral (to the side) of the field of surgery. As a surgeon you would have to go out of your way to actually do that. You may be thinking of the depressor septi muscle which some of the fibers can be cut in nasal surgery which has no real bearing on the appearance or function of the nose except to raise the nasal tip slightly and prevent tip... more

James C. Marotta, MD

10 reviews

Long Island Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.marottamd.com

Is It Routine to Cut the Levator Labii Superioris Alaeque Nasi Muscle?

It is very rare to incise this muscular area. I recommend to have in person second opinions to be sure you have had this issue.

Levator Labii muscle and rhinoplasty

This muscle is typically not in the surgical field for rhinoplasty, open or closed. If your surgery is recent, surrounding muscle dysfunction can be related to nerve stretch and trauma, which should be reversible. It generally takes 6-18 months for nerve and muscle function to return in the face. I disagree with the other post that open rhinoplasty leads to more complications and deformities. My advice is to give it enough time to heal. You can consider doing facial physical therapy to... more

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Open rhinoplasty is an error-prone situation for many surgeons

I have trouble picturing what deformity you are experiencing, but I believe that your diagnosis is wrong. If you have distortion of your nasal base or nostrils or upper lip after rhinoplasty--especially open rhinoplasty--that is understandable and largely correctable. My recent review of 100 consecutive patients treated open or closed in their first operation indicates that open patients have more numerous and more severe deformities than those patients who had been treated... more

Rhinoplasty and the Levator Labii Superioris Muscle

As a rhinoplasty specialist in San Diego, I can tell you that I rarely perform this type of muscle work as part of cosmetic nose reshaping. This is primarily because I think it is unnecessary in most instances of rhinoplasty or revision rhinoplasty. I am also worried about what you are experiencing in terms of changing the dynamics of facial movement following this maneuver. As far as I know, this is not something that can be easily reversed, either.

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