How long does it take the depressor septi muscle to heal if it was cut?

Question

If a tip drops when smiling and to fix that the depressor septi was cut, how long does it take for the smile to come back and muscle to work to show teeth?

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

Our practice, we do not sever the Depressor septii muscles. When we reconstruct a nasal tip to prevent it from drooping, we typically utilize a columella strut graft to add structural support to the nasal Since a columella strut graft is inserted into the muscles of the upper lip, we see heaviness in many of our patients postoperatively. Some patients experience heaviness of the central upper lip with smiling for many months, however, we have not seen any permanent alterations in the appearance of someone's smile after surgery. I hope this is helpful. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

Ruslan Zhuravsky, DO · Answer

The depressor septi nasi (DSN) does contribute to support of the upper lip as you pointed out, but there are other factors involved as well. If the DSN is truly and fully cut, it is unlikely to regenerate. I stay away from this and prefer to release select sections of the muscle from the tip structures to achieve the desired nasal result, while avoiding the negative lip result. I also find it more important to support the tip itself rather than to weaken the musculature of the nasal base and mouth. Sometimes there is swelling and weakness of the muscle immediately after surgery, and this usually lasts for approx 1-4 weeks.There many also be transient injury to the levator alaeque nasi muscle. It would be unlikely for this to be fully cut with rhinoplasty. It could take 6 weeks - 3 months for this to come back. Try some facial exercises, uses a mirror, elevate the top lip as you would like to see it but with facial muscles only. Like physical therapy for the face. It's worth a try. If this issue persists and doesn't resolve, a lip lift can help ... but make sure it's done properly with good deep support, which will support the obicularis muscle. Amount of time to wait is at least 3 months, but 6 would be better to allow full healing and resolution of swelling in the nasal base. Hope that helps!

William Portuese, MD · Answer

In our practice, we only release the depressor septi ligament as part of rhinoplasty procedure. Healing on rhinoplasty is one year, and the upper lip into go back to normal functioning in a month

How long does it take the depressor septi muscle to heal if it was cut?

Answers (3)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

How long does it take the depressor septi muscle to heal if it was cut?

Answers (3)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.