Maxillofacial Trauma

Maxillofacial injury is injury to the facial soft tissues, facial skeleton and associated specialised soft tissues within the head and neck as a result of wounding or external violence. The Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon is an essential part of comprehensive Accident & Emergency Services in the management of these injuries, both primary and secondary. In the more severe injuries, the OMF Surgeon works in close collaboration with many other specialities, in particular neurosurgical and ophthalmological colleagues.
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) to accident victims is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team and trainees in oral & maxillofacial surgery are expected to have successfully completed the ATLS Course. The skeletal and soft tissue anatomy of the craniofacial region is complex and a specialist knowledge of the oral cavity, both anatomically and functionally, is essential for successful management of patients with facial injury.
Injuries to the maxillofacial area are routinely treated by the technique of open reduction and internal fixation, using a variety of micro, mini and reconstruction plating systems. This has lead to early restoration of function and rapid rehabilitation, but there is no doubt that many serious facial injuries can cause permanent facial disfigurement and psychological distress with extensive soft tissue scarring presenting a particular challenge to the oral & maxillofacial surgeon.
In collaboration with neurosurgical colleagues, it has now become possible for simultaneous management of severe craniomaxillofacial trauma to be dealt with in a single stage, often using a shared surgical access. The use of advanced imaging techniques such as CT scan, MRI and Stereolithography are used to demonstrate the pattern of cranial and facial bony injuries and to plan better primary treatment. Modern oral & maxillofacial surgical techniques have resulted in early restoration of function and return to work and have reduced the need for secondary reconstruction and scar revisions. It is essential that all facial injuries are referred to the oral & maxillofacial surgeon.