I had a facelift two weeks ago and my lips are pulling in a funny way when I talk. They are "out of sync" . Is this temporary?

It's best to direct this question to your surgeon, but asymmetries after facelift surgery are relatively common and typically resolve on their own. As your swelling improves you'll likely notice improvement in your symmetry as well. 

Thank you for your question.You should definitely be in contact with your plastic surgeon regarding this. It is very normal for there to be temporary abnormalities in mouth movement after a facelift. The nerves to the facial muscles can sometimes be stretched or bruised resulting in temporary poor movement of those muscles. The change in movement that you are describing would be a temporary injury to the marginal mandibular nerve. It will likely recover to normal but may take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.I hope this helps.- Dr. Bryson Richards

Two weeks after a facelift it is not uncommon to experience some temporary visible and some subjective abnormalities.  Typically of this will resolve with time.  Make sure you see your plastic surgeon for follow up evaluation.  Most of the symptoms you are experience are due to temporary muscle weakness, as opposed to direct nerve injury.

Thank you for your question.This is probably a result of injury to the marginal mandibular nerve or some times other nerves that may be pulled or stretched during the Facelift procedure. Fortunately most of these injuries are minor and resolve with time. Two weeks is too early to tell but cutting of the nerve is very unusual and I think your problems will resolve over the next few weeks. Please visit your Plastic Surgeon who can asses the problem.All The Best !

Hi there. I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble at this stage. Without photos or video, it is impossible to tell but it sounds as if one of the branches of the facial nerve may have been stretched or injured during surgery - this can result in lower lip asymmetry.  From your description, it is probably a branch on the right side that is actually injured (marginal mandibular branch). It would be advisable to see your PS  who will know exactly what happened at surgery and can fully assess you.The marginal mandibular branch is the most commonly injured branch in face-lift surgery and in fact most other head and neck surgery. If it has just been stretched during the operation, it will just be a case of watching and waiting - it is still early days and improvement may be seen up to 2 years. If recovery remains unsatisfactory down the line, there are simple measures (eg botox) that can be used to improve the situation. Best consult with a Plastic Surgeon who has a specialist interest in facial nerve injuries. Good luck!

 Swelling particularly near to motor nerves can create some unusual expressions after a facelift. It may take several weeks for these to resolve spontaneously. Note these to your surgeon the next time you visit.

It sounds like you may have some weakness of the nerve innervating the muscles of facial expression responsible for oral competence. This nerve is the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve. An important question is the timing of onset: was it immediate or delayed after surgery? If it was delayed, chances are that the weakness is temporary and secondary to swelling. In such case, it would likely resolve on its own without any intervention. If it was immediate, i.e. right after surgery in the recovery room already, it could still be temporary if it is due to nerve irritation from the surgical procedure itself. I suggest you contact your surgeon soon and discuss thiswith her or him. Sometimes, oral steroids and other measures help. Good luck!

This can occur though it is uncommon. Most often the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve is stretched or irritated by a suture. The effects are usually temporary. If this is the case, the asymmetry can be camouflaged with Botox to the normal side until the weak side heals completely. Hopefully, this is or will begin to improve soon. Followup with your doctor to discuss further please. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

After a facelift, there are many temporary effects that can be undesirable. When we do a facelift, there is a small nerve that is around your jaw the goes to the corner of your mouth. This nerve is called the marginal mandibular nerve and this controls the muscle at the corner of your mouth. Sometimes, we pull on this nerve and it can cause some temporary weakness. Other times the swelling causes the face to look different on each side. Nevertheless, the most important thing is to see your facial plastic or cosmetic surgeon to have it assessed. James P. Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSCHead and Neck Surgerypracticing in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryAssistant Professor, University of OttawaOttawa, Ontario, Canada

It is not unusual to have asymmetrical facial swelling and slight weakness of facial nerve. I would recommend you to communicate your concerns with your surgeon.