Facial Trauma Treatment

Facial trauma tends to have dramatic and far reaching effects on an individual’s life. Physical repair can be commenced through a cosmetic surgery right away even though psychological and emotional healing may take a little time. Physical repair can help in improving the quality of life and self-esteem of a patient.

Fractured bones are usually set in place through casts. However, that is not possible with facial fractures. These are set by using screws, plates, wiring, and splints. Sometimes, an eyelid surgery may be required to maintain facial expression and integrity of facial nerves.

Facial trauma can be of various types and can occur in several ways. It may damage underlying bone, soft tissue, and nerves of the jaw and rest of the face. It’s vital to seek early evaluation and proper treatment of facial trauma because it involves a high degree of emotional and physical distress. Prompt action is the only way to achieve the best possible outcome.

These are a few common types of facial trauma injuries that can be addressed with the help of facial trauma reconstruction:

Facial lacerations are characterized by soft tissue injuries. These can be through breaks in skin, tears or cuts. The injuries can also go deep to affect subcutaneous tissue and underlying muscle. Facial lacerations are usually the result of blunt force impact or extreme pressure.

Facial fractures tend to occur within the eye sockets, nasal structure, or cheekbones. Nasal fractures are usually the most common type of facial fractures. This is because of the extremely delicate, fragile, and thin nature of cartilage and bones in the nose. However, that is not to say that eye (orbital) sockets fractures are rare.

You may need to consult with an oculoplastic surgeon if the damage is in the orbital sockets. Several factors, including your health, age and severity of injury shall be taken into account by your eye surgeon while determining the right course of treatment.

You may need prompt surgery if there are fractures in your lower or upper jaw. Your surgeon will order a CT scan to properly assess the extent of injuries and to determine the right course of action for restoring function and achieving optimal results.

There are two different approaches to treating facial trauma injuries.

Stitches and sutures are usually used by surgeons to treat facial lacerations. Great care needs to be taken to treat salivary glands, facial nerves, and ducts among other underlying facial structures.

Facial fractures, like other bone injuries, require stabilization for optimal healing. This is usually achieved by a technique called rigid fixation, which involves surgically placed plates and screws.