Regional Veterinary Surgery

HARELIP - CHEILOPLASTY

Drooped lower lip

• Normal side of nose and muzzle is measured for width of normal lip. One surgery involves resection of the skin of the chin.
• In this procedure the lower lip is pulled ventrally to expose the lower incisors.
• When this is done a fold of skin is created on the chin and an elliptical incision is made through the skin and subcutaneous tissue and the fold is removed.
• When the subcutaneous tissue and the cut edges of the skin are opposed the lower incisor teeth should remain exposed.
• A variation of this procedure involves removing a triangular piece of skin from the ventral chin with the base of the triangle parallel to the lower incisors.
• When the triangle is closed the lower lip is everted.