Disfigured bump on lips looking like cleft palate after stitching up due to accident. Interferes with eating. Guide for rectifying
Patient: I was in a horrible car accident on my bicycle, was hit at 30+ miles an hour, flown from the bike and my face scraped the concrete. When I regained consciousness, my lip was cut in half! My lip is the major problem, after having it operated on twice, both doctors did a horrible stitching job (they're not beauticians).  My lip was left with a bump on it and is visible when I smile. It looks like I have a cleft lip! I feel disfigured, and am extremely self conscious about it. Sometimes it interferes with eating, and my teeth scrape it.  What can I do? Can I go to the emergency room to fix it? Cut off the excess flesh? I could bite it perhaps? These are the insane ideas I've had to live with and contemplate. Could I also be suffering from head trauma? Or accident related trauma? I've been in six car accidents in my life, three on bikes and I am deathly afraid of careless drivers. Doctor: Hello,The problem you are complaining of arises from an improper repair of the muscle inside your lip which is known as orbicularis oris. Revisional surgery entails a complete disruption of the repair, stitching the lip in 3 layers with resection of any mucosa that might occur in your case and with particular attention to repair of the orbicularis. Please visit a plastic surgeon for more details, there is no need to be depressed.Dr. Adhikari