Does the Infraorbital Nerve Affect Sensation of Upper Lip or Movement?

The infraorbital nerve is sensitive to "stretch" injuries that produce micro-fractures in the nerve that most often heal quite well.  Other nerves in the area that produce movement can also be "stretched" and can cause difference in the smile from side to side.  Swelling and healing in the area can also cause asymmetry of the smile.  All of these problems usually resolve with time. 

This is a sensory nerve.  When damaged during a surgery it will produce numbness in the cheek and lip. Good news that it is coming back. It will not affect the lip position. However putting in a cheek  implant will alter the position of the cheek muscles which may be why your smile is a bit different.   

The infraorbital nerve innervates the lower eyelid, upper lip, and part of the nasal  tip area and is sensory. These nerves are very senitive to trauma and edema (swelling). It may take many months for the function to return. This will occur slowly. It sounds like you are on your way to recovery.

It sounds like you are recovering normally from surgery.  It can take months and even up to a year or longer for the sensation in a surgically operated area to recover fully.  Sometimes nerves undergo a "stretch" injury during procedures and take time to recover.  The infraorbital nerve is not responsible for the movement or position of your lip.  Your smile asymmetry may be from surgical manipulation, surgical scarring, and will likely improve over time.  I would discuss these issues with your surgeon as well. 

Dear Curious_Inquirer,

Trauma to the infraorbital nerve during cheek implant removal
or insertion, or other cosmetic facial procedures, can definitely result in
decreased sensation to the upper lip on the outside of the face. The infraorbital nerve does not control
motion of the facial muscles of the upper lip; however, stretching or trauma of
the zygomaticus major or minor and other facial muscles that contribute to
facial lip movement can occur during the same procedure. It is entirely possible that subtle
disruption, stretching or microtrauma to the muscles of facial movement
occurred at the time of trauma to the infraorbital nerve. Subtle asymmetries to the lip movement can
occur and generally, over time, these completely resolve.

My advice at this time would be to seek the opinion of your
operative physician to reassure you that the upper lip motion and function
should return. I have found it useful
over the years to deploy radiofrequency bulk heating devices and electrical
mild stimulation of the muscles of elevation of the upper lip following subtle
and modest weakness postoperatively, as this will resolve the asymmetries much
quicker than allowing Mother Nature and time to restore facial balance.

I hope this information has been of some assistance and best
of luck.

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Mulholland, MD

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto

Dear Curious,The infraorbital nerve is a sensory nerve that provides feeling to the upper lip, nose and upper teeth. It does not control the motion of your lip. The surgery that you had - removal of a cheek implant - can certainly affect the nerve function and it sounds like your surgeon was correct that it was not severed (otherwise you would not have had the 90% return you've experienced). The act of removing the implant can certainly traumatize the nerve and the soft tissues and you can have persistent deep swelling that can interfere with the motion on that side of your lip. 2.5 months is still fairly early in the healing process and I anticipate that you should continue to recover and normalize. Be sure to follow up with your surgeon for reassurance. Best wishes.