Surgery for facial fractures (jaw, cheekbone, nose)

A blow to the face, from a fall, a road accident, an assault or a sports injury, can fracture the bones of the face: the mandible (lower jaw), the zygomatic bone (cheekbone), the nasal bones, or the floor of the eye socket. These fractures can interfere with chewing, breathing or vision, and change the appearance of the face. Treatment consists of putting the bone fragments back in place (reduction) and holding them while they heal. For a nasal fracture, reduction is often done without an incision, by repositioning the bones from inside, then a splint is applied. For the jaw or cheekbone, the surgeon usually works through incisions inside the mouth or in discreet skin creases, and fixes the bone with small titanium plates and screws. Temporary wiring of the jaws is sometimes needed. Surgery is offered when the fracture is displaced, when it disturbs the bite, nasal breathing or the position of the eye, or when it leaves a visible deformity. Some minimally displaced fractures are simply monitored. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, patients can be received by the emergency department, have a facial CT scan on site, and then be operated on in the operating theatre by maxillofacial or ENT surgeons depending on the fracture.