Browsing by Subject "Webster"

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    Full Thickness Lip Reconstruction
    (2025-10-30) Garry, Steven; Shine, Neville
    The lips are key functional and aesthetic components of the face. They are a prominent midline facial feature involved in mastication, swallowing, oral competence and social interaction. Full thickness defects of the lips result from a loss of tissue from external skin to internal mucosa. Such defects are significantly morbid and must be appropriately addressed to restore critical lip functions. Most lip defects follow oncologic resection. It is important to ensure histologic margin control prior to embarking on a reconstructive effort if possible. The functional goals of lip reconstruction centre around preserving the surface area of the oral aperture and restoring oral competence. Oral competence involves both sensation and sphincteric function of the lips. The aesthetic aims when planning lip reconstruction include replacing adequate external skin whilst maintaining the balance of the lip subunits and the vermilioncutaneous junction/vermilion border (junction between red mucosa of lip and skin of face). Ultimately, ideal reconstruction restores dynamic sphincteric competence, sensation and achieves an acceptable aesthetic result.