| Alternative Names:
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| Maxillofacial injury; Midface trauma; Facial injury; LeFort injuries
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| Treatment:
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When the patient is unable to perform any normal function, or a substantial cosmetic deformity occurs, the treatment is usually surgical. Goals include:
- Establish a clear airway.
- Control bleeding.
- Treat the fracture.
- Rule out other injuries.
- Fix broken bone segments with titanium plates and screws.
- Use existing lacerations and incisions in the mouth and around the eye and scalp during surgery to minimize scarring.
- Treatment should be immediate, as long as the patient is stable and cleared of all life-threatening injuries and the neck has been cleared of fractures.
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| Expectations (prognosis):
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| Patients generally do very well with proper pre-operative workup and planning. The patient should be fore-warned that they will most likely look different from their pre- injury state and that revision surgeries may be necessary 6 to 12 months later.
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| Complications:
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General complications include, but are not limited to:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Neurologic complications
- Facial asymmetry
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| Calling your health care provider:
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| Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if you have a severe injury to your face.
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