Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery
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J Craniomaxillofac Surg · Aug 1999
Case ReportsExperience with regional flaps in the comprehensive treatment of maxillofacial soft-tissue injuries in war victims.
This article presents our experience with regional flaps in the treatment of facial soft-tissue defects and deformities in 33 patients with various facial injuries from warfare during the period from 1986 to 1999. Thirty-two males and 1 female aged between 8 and 53 years (mean 24.18 years) were treated with facial soft-tissue injuries from high velocity projectiles and varying degrees of associated hard-tissue injuries. Bullets were the most common cause (70%), followed by injuries from shrapnel (21%), land mines (6%), and breech blocks (3%). ⋯ None required facial nerve grafting as only the terminal branches were injured in our cases and functional recovery was acceptable. Application of local tissue transfer procedures in our series of facial warfare injuries yielded acceptable tissue form, texture, and colour match, especially when these procedures were used in combination, and tailored to surgically fit the individual case. Moreover, application of these procedures is relatively easy and postoperative morbidity is limited, provided the general condition of the patient is stable, and the surgical techniques used have good indications and flap principles.