swollen lip after stitches

[kurt223]

I recently had a through and through laceration in my lower lip. I recieved 8 stitches which all healed fine and were removed by a doctor. After aproximately 18 days after the accident my lip was healed farely well. A small scar and some hard scar tissue was all that remained. A couple of days later my lip became swollen next to the exterior scar. this is not scar tissue this is softer. I have had scar tissue on my lips and can tell the difference. This swollenness has been apparent for 4 days. What could this be? Thank you.

[Katie1217]

Hi there,
I have a similiar situation. I had a car accident many years back and have excess scar tissue as a result. I also had 15 stitches inside my upper lip. Years gone by and it is noticeably larger. I am going this afternoon to have the scar tissue removed via laser. My lip wasnt bad for the first few years but over time it became alot worse. I will let you know the results if you are considering having it removed. Best of luck~Katie

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

The swelling is either the result of a re-bleed into the lip with a hematoma formation or, more likely, residual scar tissue that often build up whenever a through and through laceration occurs.  If this persists after several months, minor surgery may required to correct the problem.