Facial Trauma
Comprehensive reconstruction of facial fractures and traumatic injuries.
What is Facial Trauma?
Facial trauma encompasses injuries affecting the bones, soft tissues, nerves, and structures of the face resulting from accidents, falls, assaults, sports injuries, or other traumatic causes. These injuries can range from simple lacerations to complex facial skeleton fractures requiring specialized surgical reconstruction.
Dr. Geldres has specialized training in craniofacial reconstruction, combining reconstructive plastic surgery principles with maxillofacial techniques to restore facial anatomy, function, and aesthetics after trauma.
Types of Facial Trauma
- Nasal fractures: The most common; can cause deviation and breathing obstruction
- Zygomatic fractures: Affect the cheekbone and can depress the facial contour
- Orbital fractures: Compromise the floor or walls of the eye socket, potentially causing eye sinking
- Mandibular fractures: Affect bite alignment and facial symmetry
- Midface fractures (Le Fort): Complex injuries involving multiple facial bones
- Soft tissue injuries: Lacerations, avulsions, and nerve injuries
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the type and severity of the injury:
- Open reduction and internal fixation: Displaced fractures are repositioned and fixed with titanium plates and screws through hidden incisions
- Orbital reconstruction: Use of titanium mesh or grafts to restore the fractured orbital floor
- Soft tissue repair: Meticulous layered closure of facial lacerations to minimize scarring
- Secondary reconstruction: Correction of sequelae from old trauma (asymmetries, residual deformities)
Early treatment is critical. Ideally, facial fractures should be repaired within the first 7-14 days for the best outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of facial injuries can be reconstructed?
Virtually all facial injuries are treated: jaw, cheekbone (zygomatic), orbit, nose, and maxilla fractures; soft tissue lacerations; facial nerve injuries; and tissue loss. Sequelae from old trauma can also be corrected.
When should facial trauma be operated on?
Facial fractures are ideally repaired within the first 7-14 days post-trauma, before bone consolidation begins in a malpositioned state. Lacerations are repaired as soon as possible. Sequelae from old trauma can be corrected at any time.
Does reconstructive surgery leave scars?
Dr. Geldres uses hidden incisions whenever possible: intraoral (inside the mouth), in the hairline, in natural skin folds, or through existing lacerations. This minimizes additional visible scarring.
Can an old facial fracture be corrected?
Yes. Although early treatment is ideal, sequelae from old fractures (asymmetries, depressions, malocclusion) can be corrected through corrective osteotomies, bone grafts, and tissue repositioning.