Lip biopsy and possible numbness.

[Zeta]

I just had a lip biopsy yesterday around 4 in the afternoon. Its 3:40 in the morning right now (got woken up by a phone call) and I'm noticing that while the incision still hurts (however not nearly as much as I'd anticipated) but I'm having reduced sensation around the biopsy site. If I bite around it I have to do it fairly hard before I feel anything and then it doesn't even hurt. Is this common this long after the biopsy or can I expect it to stay this way? I'm thinking it might be the swelling thats causing it. The experience was not good anyway. I felt butchered. When he was stitching me up he threaded through the tissue so many times that I couldn't even count. And when he was done I asked "how many stitches was that?" to which he replied "oh that was just one long one." So I'm assuming it will likely stay this way...

[Linda196]

Zeta, any number of things can cause numbness after surgery, besides the actual trauma. The presence of a continuous suture could even do it, and it may go away when the suture does (whether it dissolves or has to be removed). I don't think I'd start to worry about permanent numbness until the incision has healed well...if it's still there after a few weeks, then it may continue.

The continuous (so-called mattress) suture is used often because it causes fewer openings in the surface skin or mucus, fewer knots (which cause lumps or bumps), and a smoother incision line.

[Zeta]

Ok. Good. The sutures he used are not the kind that dissolve. He said that if they haven't worked their way out on their own with in a week to come in and have them removed.

[Wynter]

I had one last Monday with only one stitch. It's still a little numb, but has gotten better. My ENT told me it might be a little number for a few weeks, but will return to normal. Did you get the results yet?