post-op photo

This is the picture taken immediately after my surgery. You can see that the cut was made along the lip line. There is obvious swelling and (I am not going to lie) quite a bit of pain. The surgery takes maybe 30 min and within 10-14 days the lip looks amazingly better. It feels better too. The scar does pose a problem in recovery but not as much as one would think. The largest obstacle is the atrophy. Remember, our minds still know how to play and what to do to prepare the embouchure to make a sound. However, the muscles do not remember and have to be retrained.