AESTHETIC LIP SPLITS

Both upper and lower lip splits, usually with osteotomy of the underly ing jaw, improve access to the deep structures of the head and neck. A simple modification to the midline lip split is to incorporate a chev ron in both the peri-oral skin and vermilion margin. The advantages ar e: accurate wound closure, no straight line contracture and a broken l ine of the peri-oral scar. This improves the aesthetic result of the h ealed lip.