Dermatologic
5. Maxillofacial Reconstruction Procedure
The term "maxillofacial" refers to the two-thirds of the face below the eyes. Maxillofacial surgery is used to repair facial defects from birth, such as a cleft lip, injury or surgery and correct uneven problems of the face. It includes those surgical procedures employed to correct complex birth and acquired (post-trauma) deformities. These include:
- Rehabilitation of defects of the hard and soft palate
- Restoration of the bony and soft tissue defects of the maxilla and mandible
- Facial prostheses
- Obturators
Risks
There may be bleeding, infection, nerve damage (cranial nerve dysfunction), permanent scarring and partial or total loss of bone grafts. There may be a need for follow-up surgery for this.
Procedures
Commonly, reconstructive plastic surgery is an option for patients after treatment for the following types of cancer: breast, skin, sarcoma, head and neck and pelvic.Breast Cancer
Please see Breast Reconstruction.
Skin Cancer
Depending on the severity and location of the cancer, skin cancer reconstruction options can range from simple closure, skin graft to flaps.
Sarcoma
Sarcoma is a cancer of the connective tissue such as muscle or bone. The reconstruction options consist of simple closure, skin grafts, and tissue rearrangement with flaps.
Head and Neck Cancer
Plastic surgery options for head and neck cancer range from primary closure with skin graft to flaps.
Pelvic Cancer
Reconstructive options for pelvic cancer are flaps or tissue rearrangements.
Risks
There may be bleeding, fluid collection, excessive scar tissue, poor healing resulting in conspicuous scarring or skin loss and tissue necrosis.
