What is facial fracture?
Just like other bones of our body, the bones of the face can also be fractured. Sometimes these fractures need to be repaired.
What are some common facial fractures?
Some of the most common facial fractures we see in our office include nasal bone fractures and midface and orbital floor fractures.
How do you repair a facial fracture?
This depends on the type of fracture. Nasal bone fractures can typically be repaired without making any incision and just repositioning the fractured nasal bone. For midface fractures, we sometimes have to make a little incision on the inside of the upper lip and then we can use little titanium plates to hold the fracture together. And for orbital floor fractures, we can usually make an incision in the inside of the upper eyelid to access the floor. Usually, all incision required to repair facial fractures are hidden.
What is the recovery time for fracture repair?
The recovery time is usually short for a nasal bone fracture as there is not much pain after the procedure. There is usually a plastic nasal splint over the top of your nose that stays in place for 1 week. You can usually go back to work or school in a few days. The recovery time for a midface fracture repair or orbital floor fracture repair is usually one week. You can expect some mild pain after the procedure and some swelling and possible bruising.