On 7/5, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Minh, Head of the Department of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Linh Dam facility, reported that the patient arrived with a severe lip defect. The injury caused significant deformation, directly affecting his ability to close his mouth, articulate words, chew, and impacting his facial aesthetics. The patient's family could not recover the detached lip fragment for reattachment.

Doctors decided to use the Abbe flap technique to reconstruct the red lip and restore the continuity of the orbicularis oris muscle.

A key advantage of the Abbe flap is its ability to reconstruct nearly all anatomical components of the lip, including the red lip, white lip, mucosa, and especially the orbicularis oris muscle. This distinguishes it from skin grafts or simple covering methods.

By restoring the orbicularis oris muscle, the patient's lip shape improved, and the functions of mouth closure, speech, and eating were preserved.

The patient required two surgeries to achieve a balanced and harmonious lip appearance. During the period awaiting the second surgery, eating, hygiene, and daily activities presented many inconveniences due to the lips remaining partially attached.

Doctor Minh (center) performs surgery on the patient. Photo: Provided by doctor.

Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, from the Department of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, stated that human bite wounds are unique and "dirty" injuries, comparable to animal bites, carrying a significant risk of infection.

For first aid, thoroughly clean the wound and control bleeding locally. It is crucial not to suture the wound closed or bandage it too tightly initially. Sealing the wound creates an anaerobic environment, allowing bacteria to thrive and leading to a severe risk of infection.

For dog or cat bites, rabies vaccination is the top priority. For human bite wounds, patients should consider tetanus vaccination or screening for blood-borne diseases if the bite is deep and the attacker poses a high risk.

Thuy An