Facial Bone Fractures

Bone fractures in the jaw and facial area, caused by trauma, can lead to facial deformities. In addition to deformities, depending on the location of the fracture, other undesirable problems such as limited eye movement, loss of jaw function, breathing difficulties, and decreased speech function may occur. When facial bone fractures occur, patients should undergo reconstructive surgery before the bones begin to heal on their own.

What is Facial Bone Fracture Surgery?

Fractures of the lower jawbone, upper jawbone, nasal bones, cheekbones, and eye sockets can occur as a result of accidents or blows to the face. Sometimes fractures occur in a single area, while in other cases, multiple areas of the face may be affected by trauma. The operation performed under general anesthesia to repair the fracture or fractures in the patient’s face is called “facial bone fracture surgery.”

The timing of these surgeries to correct facial bone fractures can vary depending on the patient’s overall health. If the patient has suffered general trauma and requires emergency treatment in areas such as the head, chest, and abdomen, the first step is to stabilize the patient’s vital functions; for facial bone fractures, it is necessary to wait until the patient’s life is no longer in danger.

How are facial fractures repaired?

Every facial trauma has its own unique characteristics. Therefore, the reconstructive surgical procedures needed to restore the patient’s health must be determined comprehensively and specifically for each patient.

The primary goal of reconstructive surgery is to improve the patient’s aesthetic appearance and simultaneously correct any functional impairments caused by facial fractures. In operations to repair facial fractures, the location of the fractures, their consequences, and the patient’s overall health can vary the surgical techniques used; multiple techniques may be applied in a single operation.

During surgical treatment, fracture lines are accurately repositioned; fractures are stabilized with titanium plates and screw systems. The types of plates and/or screws may vary depending on the facial region where the fracture occurred; some remain in the face permanently, while others remain for a limited time.

When facial fractures result in bone loss, bone grafts from other parts of the body are used to reconstruct the area. As with all aesthetic reconstructive surgeries, facial fracture repair surgeries are planned on a case-by-case basis and performed by plastic surgeons.