Can Mouth Widening Be Done Under Local Anesthesia?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Good afternoon! I was your patient last year for infraorbital malar implants and the results are amazing! This time in interested in lateral comissuroplasty for making bigger and wider lips. I would like to know if it can be performed under local anesthesia? What is the possible widening? Thank you very much and have a wonderful day!

A:Good to hear from you again and I am very glad your IOM implants worked out well. When it comes to mouth widening surgery, which can be done under local anesthesia, the key concepts to grasp about it are:

1) The mouth corners will be lengthened (widened) but that does make the corners wider. (increased vermilion show – see attached imaging)

2) The need for scar revision on mouth widening is not low.

3) The alternative approach to your concerns are lateral vermilions advancements which will make the outer portions of the upper lip wider/fuller, may increase the mouth width a few millimeters and has a low scar revision rate. (see attached imaging)

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon