What Is It? When Is It Needed? What Are Potential Complications? How Long Does It Take to Heal?
If you’re in a car or industrial accident, you can suffer significant injury to your face. You might break your nose or fracture your eye socket. You may not recognize the person looking back at you in the mirror. Maybe you’ve heard about facial trauma reconstruction surgery, but you know little or nothing about it. Here are some answers to basic questions, so you can start to decide if it’s right for you.
What Is Facial Trauma Reconstruction Surgery?
Facial trauma reconstruction surgery is a form of plastic surgery that seeks to rebuild facial structures that have been damaged due to an accident. As a part of the process, a surgeon will commonly use tissue from other parts of the body, including muscle, bone, and skin, to try to restore the facial appearance of a patient.
What Are the Common Reasons a Person May Need Facial Reconstruction Surgery?
Facial reconstruction surgery may be necessary or desirable in the aftermath of the following:
- A car, truck, or motorcycle accident—Facial injury is common in motor vehicle accidents, as drivers and passengers make impact with steering wheels, dashboards, windshields, pavement, and other stationary objects
- A physical assault or fight
- A sports injury from football, baseball, skiing, skateboarding, hockey, or other sport
- A slip-and-fall, workplace injury, or injury from an explosion or flying object
Are There Potential Complications to Facial Trauma Reconstruction Surgery?
Though advances in science and medicine have dramatically improved the success rate of facial reconstruction surgery, there are still possible undesirable consequences:
- The soft tissue at or around the surgical repair may break down or deteriorate.
- With reconstruction around the eye socket, it’s possible that the eyeball will recede in its orbit. Facial reconstruction surgery may also increase the distance between your eyelids.
- Facial reconstruction involving your jaw or cheekbones may significantly change your profile.
How Long Does It Take to Heal from Facial Trauma Reconstruction Surgery?
The recovery time will depend in part on the extent of the surgery. The larger the area, the longer the recuperative period. As a general rule, though, most facial reconstruction surgery wounds heal within a couple months.
