Chapter
8:
Post-Traumatic
Facial Deformities
|
Chapter
8: |
| Craniomaxillofacial Trauma
Post-Traumatic Facial Deformities
Trauma Reconstruction
|
The best way to prevent post-traumatic
facial deformities is to obtain the appropriate treatment at the time of
the injury. Applying the latest craniofacial techniques can in many
cases make major secondary revisions unnecessary. However, despite the
many advances that have come from the field of craniofacial surgery,
there are still patients that end up with significant deformities. These
are patients that for whatever reason are treated inadequately or
because of life-threatening other injuries, do not receive any treatment
of their facial injuries.
Unrepaired or inadequately reduced facial fractures can result in a wide range of severe cosmetic and functional deformities. Unrepaired fractures around the orbits can cause a sunken-in appearance of the eyes, nasal deformities, as well as functional problems with vision (double vision). Unrepaired injuries of the middle and lower face can cause contour deformities, flattening of the cheeks, or malocclusion of the teeth with difficulty chewing. These are but a few of the many problems associated with post-traumatic facial deformities.
Late repair or reconstruction after the soft tissue and bones have healed is much more difficult than repair at the time of initial injury. Reconstruction requires wide exposure which enables the surgeon to have direct visualization of the bony deformities. Bone cuts are then made to reposition the displaced bone and reattach the soft tissue back into its normal position. Missing or severely deformed bone may require replacement with bone grafts. These operative procedures all use the standard techniques of craniofacial surgery.
The Tennessee Craniofacial
Center, part of the Erlanger Health System, is located in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. The Center, led Larry A. Sargent, M.D., specializes in the
evaluation and treatment of patients of all ages with craniofacial deformities.
Location:
975 East Third Street. Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
