Lip Lift Surgery Sydney
Your complete guide and quick links to everything you need to know about Lip Lift Surgery in Sydney!
What is a Lip Lift?
Lip Lift Surgery may be a worthwhile alternative for patients looking to increase their upper lip’s pink surface permanently and avoid filler injections every 4-6 months.
Various designs of Lip Lift Surgery exist to deliver specific shapes to the upper lip. At your initial consultation, our Surgeon will explain which designs you could consider.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Lip Lift Surgery?
A Surgical Lip Lift could be a worthwhile consideration if:
- You have a very thin upper lip that cannot be adequately augmented with filler injections.
- You prefer to avoid the repetitive cost and inconvenience of filler injections every 4-6 months.
How Is Lip Lift Surgery Done?
An Upper Lip Lift typically takes less than 1 hour. It can be performed under Local Anaesthesia +/- Sedation, or under General Anaesthesia.
After carefully measuring and marking, a thin strip of skin is removed immediately under the nostrils. When the skin edges are sutured together, the upper lip is lifted upwards exposing more of its pink surface.
You can go home shortly after your procedure, but if you have had sedation or general anaesthesia, you must not go home alone. You must have a responsible adult accompany you and be with you for the first 24 hours.
Recovery After A Surgical Lip Lift
Expect that your upper lip will be swollen, bruised, and numb immediately after the surgery. The swelling and bruising can be even more pronounced on the 2nd and 3rd days, but will then start to settle.
Eating and drinking may prove a little uncomfortable over the first 2-3 days.
Unless your surgeon has used absorbable sutures, stitches will be removed after 5-7 days.
Resumption of activities: Physical activities can be usually be resumed after 2 weeks. However, until your incision is fully healed, you must avoid all activities that carry a risk of direct injury to your upper lip.
Lip Lift Surgery ‘Before & After’
‘Pros & Cons’ of a Surgical Lip Lift
The Pros:
- The only effective way to correct a thin upper lip.
- It produces a more subtle and natural ‘look’ than lip fillers.
- The correction is permanent.
- It avoids the repetitive cost and inconvenience of having fillers every 4-6 months.
The Cons:
- Although it is relatively minor surgery, all surgical procedures do carry some risks.
- Although well hidden in the folds under the nose, a scar will always result. However, most scars progressively fade and should become barely noticeable after 12 months.
Potential Risks & Complications of Lip Lift Surgery
Specific to Lip Lift Surgery
- Temporary swelling and bruising.
- Wound infection.
- Slow or poor healing – more of a risk in smokers and diabetics.
- Poor wound healing.
- Prominent or pigmented scarring.
- Unexpected bleeding from the incision site during surgery, or post-operative hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin).
- Nerve injury.
- Asymmetry of the upper lip.
General Surgical Risks
- Allergic reactions to medications, sutures, dressings, or antiseptic solutions.
- Adverse Reactions to General Anaesthesia or Medication: The safety of anaesthesia nowadays in Australia is well established. Nevertheless, potential risks exist with all forms of anaesthesia and unexpected reactions can occur. These may include nausea, vomiting, and allergic reactions ranging from minor to severe. Respiratory failure, heart failure, heart attack and stroke are rare but documented risks of any general anaesthesia.
The Cost of Lip Lift Surgery in Sydney
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Lip Lift Surgery
The total cost of a Lip Lift Surgery in Sydney will be made up of the following individual costs:
- Surgical Fee: $6000
- Hospital Fee: Hospitals differ in their hourly rates for Operating Theatres. Your Plastic Surgeon will advise you of the expected Theatre Fees once it has been decided which hospital you will be attending.
- Anaesthetist Fee: This will basically depend on the duration of the procedure. Anaesthetic Fees are generally around $880/hour .
Can I Claim a Medicare or Private Health Insurance Rebate?
Unfortunately, there is no Medicare Rebate, nor can you claim on your Private Health Insurance.