Metal Mouth Message Board

I know there are changes to the lips, especially the upper lip, with maxillary advancement but don't know exactly what can/may happen. I have read about something called a "Y" stitch or "XY" stictch. If anyone can share experiences with this it would be great. I'm concerned about lips looking thinner and continued lip incompetence.

Hi Rosy22

I had maxillary advancement a month ago - I didn't have any extra procedures done to my lips, but I have noticed that my top lip is slightly fuller. I have also heard people say that the top lip can get narrower, but in my experience it hasn't - it has made an improvement.

There don't appear to be any set rules with orthognathic sugery do there?!?

Best Wishes
Happysmiler

HappySmiler,
May I ask how much maxillary advancement you had?

I had 6 mm upper advancement and it's changed my upper lip dramatically. Before I didn't have one. Now I have a lovely upper lip. I've noticed changes even in the last two months, I'm starting to get those lines that run vertically from nose to tip of lips? Yeah. It's awesome. It also looks a lot fuller, of course.

No idea what the stitch you are referring to is about. I didn't have it.

That is interesting Arvensis. I have read mostly about upper lip getting thinner with advancement not other way around. There must be some reason for different results. I wonder if OS might be using some type of different technique. I think the name of stitch is YV not YX. Just learning about this.

thinner? I've never heard that. Since my upper was too far back, the lip was turned under. Now looks like it just got pushed outward where it was supposed to be.

That's another way to think of it. It had not occured to me that it might turn lip out.

Hi Rosy22

I had a large advancement - I'm not totally sure of the amount now as before surgery they told me 8mm, then after they told me 10mm. But it was quite a lot.

Best Wishes
Happysmiler

the closing stitch you are referring to is called a Y stitch. My surgeon used it on me. It actually pushes the top lip out - or rather it rolls it out and gives the lip a fuller appearance.

One of the things I asked for was for my upper lip to meet my bottom lip (correct my lip incompetence) and if possible at the same time to actually give me an upper lip! He explained the type of surgical closer they would use to do so. If you don't have much of an upper lip to begin with, I would recommend it. Even though my swelling is still quite high you can still see a difference. My lips are now the "perfect" kiss shape. And my OS keeps telling me that I won't see the full result for almost 6 months. I'm already happy with what I see - it's much bigger than before surgery.

I had lower jaw surgery and had the Y stitch or X stitch or whatever its called.

It was for lip imcompetence and a thin lip. I was supposed to have upper and lower and I only needed 1-2mm of movement for the Lefort. My surgeon decided it just wasnt worth all the pain for such minimal movement.

So when they did the lip, the cut the tissue where it was connected to the gum and brought my lip down by 1-2mm. Not much at all but what a difference. My lips now meet and when I smile my lip does not roll flat, it stays full in the center. I am very glad I did it. Before I felt like I showed gum tissue because my lip rolled in and under.