Microsurgical reconstruction of posttraumatic large soft tissue defects on face

ABSTRACT

Our faces can express a remarkable range of subtle emotions and silent messages. Because the face is so essential for complex social interactions that are part of our everyday lives, aesthetic repair and restoration of function are an important tasks that we must not take lightly. Soft-tissue defects occur in trauma patients and require thorough evaluation, planning, and surgical treatment to achieve optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes, while minimizing the risk of complications. Recognizing the full nature of the injury and developing a logical treatment plan help determine whether there will be future aesthetic or functional deformities. Proper classification of the wound enables appropriate treatment, and helps predict the postoperative appearance and function. Comprehensive care of trauma patients requires a diverse breadth of skills, beginning with an initial evaluation, followed by resuscitation. Traditionally, facial defects have been managed with closure or grafting, and prosthetic obturators. Sometimes, however, large defects cannot be closed using simple methods. Such cases, which involve exposure of critical structures, bone, joint spaces, and neurovascular structures, requires more complex treatment. We reviewed and classified causes of significant trauma resulting in facial injuries that were reconstructed by microsurgical techniques without simple sutures or coverage with partial flaps. A local flap is a good choice for reconstruction, but large defects are hard to cover with a local flap alone. Early microsurgical reconstruction of a large facial defect is an excellent choice for aesthetic and functional outcomes.