Fig. 451
Projecting intermaxillary bone. (Bruns.)
The underlying principle of these operations is easily and briefly stated. The edges of the defect should be freshened and brought together by sutures. Extreme care should be taken that the vermilion border of the lip be maintained. A little particle of mucous membrane in the lip of an infant, dislocated to a level higher than that where it belongs, will appear later in life as a reddish patch upon the skin, which will prove quite a disfigurement. Simple fissure of the lip is easily managed by Nélaton’s procedure ([Figs. 452] to [457]). The deeper and more extensive the fissure the more plastic reconstruction is required.
Fig. 452
Malgaigne’s operation: the incision.
Fig. 453
Malgaigne’s operation: the sutures in position; the lower sutures tied.