HNO
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The role of ENT surgery in the management of anterior skull base defects has become increasingly important in recent years. Transnasal endoscopic surgical techniques and intraoperative navigation enable a minimally invasive approach in a large proportion of patients, thus helping to avoid morbidity typically associated with neurosurgical subfrontal approaches. Whereas traffic accidents and sport injuries are the main causes of anterior skull base trauma in the civilian setting, penetrating injuries caused by gunshots and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) play an increasing role in the military arena and terroristic attacks. ⋯ Major injuries, involving the midface or neurocranium, require an interdisciplinary approach including maxillofacial surgeons and neurosurgeons. A centre for head and neck medicine and surgery is an ideal setting for such interdisciplinary teams to provide appropriate care for patients with complex skull base trauma in cooperation with ophthalmologists and interventional neuoradiologists. The present article describes concepts for the treatment of anterior skull base trauma established at the head, neck and skull base center at the Ulm military hospital in Germany.
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Penetrating head and neck injuries often present with vascular lesions and airway compromise and may be life-threatening. Thus controlling bleeding and airway stabilisation take priority in emergency treatment. High-velocity projectiles, fragmentations from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and shrapnel can cause severe tissue injury, representing a challenge for the head and neck surgeon. ⋯ For this reason, experience among civilian head and neck surgeons is at present limited. With the increased incidence of terrorism and the use of IEDs as the preferred weapon in terrorism it has become important for civilian head and neck surgeons to understand the role of ballistic injuries in mass casualty events. The present paper discusses current viewpoints in the diagnosis and treatment of penetrating head and neck injuries.
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A basic understanding of the ballistic behaviour of projectiles or fragments after entering the human body is essential for the head and neck surgeon in the military environment in order to anticipate the diagnostic and therapeutic consequences of this type of injury. Although a large number of factors influence the missile in flight and after penetration of the body, the most important factor is the amount of energy transmitted to the tissue. Long guns (rifles or shotguns) have a much higher muzzle energy compared to handguns, explaining why the remote effects beyond the bullet track play a major role. ⋯ Of all relevant injuries in the head and neck region, soft tissue injuries make up the largest proportion (60%), while injuries to the face are seen three times more often than injuries to the neck. Concomitant intracranial or spinal injury is seen in 30% of cases. Due to high levels of wound contamination, the infection rate is approximately 15%, often associated with a complicated and/or multiresistant spectrum of germs.
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Injury to the facial skeleton may result not only in aesthetic but also functional deficits. Computer-assisted surgery promises predictable reconstructive results. In clinical routine the authors use the combination of preoperative planning, intraoperative navigation and intraoperative imaging to treat complex facial trauma. ⋯ Intraoperative imaging achieves the final intraoperative validation. Using computer-assisted surgery dislocation and malformation of fragments and transplants can be avoided in facial reconstruction. This means reliable quality control of surgical outcome and the number of further surgeries can be reduced in this complex reconstructive surgery.
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The overall incidence of severe head, face and neck injuries as seen from the German Trauma Registry of the National Association of German Trauma Surgeons is 81.3%. The leading causes of death among these patients are hemorrhage and severe traumatic brain injury. ⋯ In this review, special aspects as well as pitfalls of the prehospital management of patients with head, face and neck injuries are demonstrated. Prehospital airway management concepts as well as concepts for stopping bleeding in the head, face and neck region are discussed in detail.