Lip laceration

Background

• Be careful to line up vermilion border
• Consider infraorbital block for upper lip, mental nerve block for lower lip
• Antibiotics not required

Management

• 1. Intraoral mucosal laceration (isolated)
  • Only need to close if >1cm
  • Use absorbable 5-0 suture
  • Avoid catching underlying muscle during suturing
• 2. Through-and-through laceration
  • Close in layers:
    • 1. Close mucosal layer w/ absorbable 5-0 suture
    • 2. Close orbicularis oris muscle w/ 4-0 or 5-0 absorbable suture
    • 3. Close skin w/ 6-0 nonabsorbable suture
• 3. Vermilion border laceration
  • Place 1st stitch w/ 6-0 nonabsorbable suture to align edges of vermilion border
  • Then repair rest of lip in usual manner

Source

• Tintinalli