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Oculofacial plastic surgeons are uniquely trained to address alterations of the normal anatomy of the face, orbit, and eyelid caused by trauma and other accidents. Each accident is unique and each requires a customized approach to rehabilitation. The doctors of Hawthorne Clinic are the regional experts on repair of all eyelid abnormalities and all abnormalities of the eye socket and midface caused by trauma.

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Learn More About Facial Trauma and Fractures

What Is Facial Trauma? What Are Fractures?

Facial trauma, more formally known in medical circles as maxillofacial trauma is any permanent injury incurred by the face. Because the face has several different layers, such as skin, muscle, nerves, and bones, facial trauma can affect one or more or those layers

Fractures refer specifically to the breaking of a bone. When a fracture in the face occurs, depending on where the fracture takes place this can have cosmetic effects, such as changing the shape or the face, or it can present serious threats to normal day-to-day activities, such as threatening the ability to see clearly.

Types Of Facial Trauma & Fractures

A broad range of different incidents can be responsible for facial trauma or fractures of bone to the face. The most common include:
  • Fractures:

    Bones in the face will break when subjected to forces greater than what they can tolerate. Sudden, violent force is commonly involved.

  • Burns:

    Burns occur when the temperature rises above a certain point and the skin, tissue, or other elements of the face hit their tolerance point and combust. High temperatures are always involved in burn injuries.

  • Lacerations:

    Better known as cuts, lacerations can occur in several different ways, including vehicular accidents and fights.

  • Soft Tissue Injuries:

    These injuries go beneath the skin, and commonly affect muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Soft tissue injuries may sometimes only affect appearance, or they may also affect movement. Facial paralysis is an example of a soft tissue injury.

Causes Of Facial Trauma & Fractures

Facial trauma and fractures can occur in a variety of unexpected ways throughout the course of daily life. Some of the most common causes are:

  • Vehicular accidents:

    Even with seat belts and airbags present, a collision in a traffic accident can still result in significant damage to the face. Without these safety measures in place, the damage can be much more significant. Fires: Burns throughout the body and the face are a very common result of exposure to fire. This may be fires in a building or fires in a vehicle.

  • Sports Accidents:

    Any sporting event exposes participants to some element of risk, including physical injury and facial trauma or fractures. Nose injuries, for example, are a common facial trauma injury. Fighting: When an altercation breaks out, one of the objectives is to damage the opponent. Facial trauma in serious fights is a very common consequence.

  • Slip & Falls:

    Any fall, even if not from a great height, can potentially result in injury. If a person’s face is the point of impact from a fall, this can result in injuries and even fractures to the bone.

Seeking Proper Treatment

Different types of facial trauma will require very different methods of treatment to address successfully. Burns around the eye area, for example, with potential scarring and soft tissue damage, require a very different response from a sporting accident where the bones of the jaw may be fractured.

This is why, for any facial trauma or fracture, it is important to get a thorough medical diagnosis of the issue, to find the best medical technique to apply. Different parts of the face and different types of trauma will require specific techniques and specialists that excel in treating those areas. Only experienced professionals like Dr. Monsul, for example, have the knowledge and skillset to work on the orbital area around the eyes.

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