About the disease
Soft facial tissue injury is a trauma of the face. It can develop as a result of a burn or a cut. It can also develop as a result of fracture or nose/eye injury. Although soft facial tissues recover quickly, injury to this tissue can result in loss of sensitivity in the jaw area and also in disfigurement in some cases, if the medical treatment had not been delivered in time. In some cases, soft facial tissue injury can result in disfigurement of the nose and also in blindness of an eye if it had been damaged. That`s why immediate medical assistance is vital in such severe injuries. Soft facial tissue injury can be very dangerous in case the airways had been injured since there can be obstruction of oxygen supply to vital organs of a person. That`s why the most important thing to check after a person sustained soft facial tissue injury is the ability of a person to breathe normally.
There are many causes that can lead to soft facial tissue injury. According to statistics, the most common cause is motor vehicle accidents. That's why it is so important to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle and to wear a seatbelt while being in the car. Drunk and unsafe driving is the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents. High speed driving can become a cause of soft facial tissue injury as well. Soft facial tissue injury can occur also after a severe fall or trauma to the head. Certain work-related and sport traumas can be a cause of soft facial tissue injury, that`s why it is so important to follow the safety rules in a working and sport environment.
Symptoms
- Swelling of the affected soft facial tissue
- Bruising
- Tenderness
- Nosebleeds if the nose had been fractured
- Bruising
- Deformity of facial features in severe cases
Diagnosis
- During a general examination, a doctor will assess the ability of a person to breathe normally and will also try to determine if there is an external or internal bleeding. He will also try to determine if the nose has been fractured.
- Angiography is used to determine if there is an internal bleeding and determine the exact location of bleeding.
- CT scan and an X-ray of the scalp are used to determine if there is a fracture and to examine the soft tissues. CT scan can also determine the best treatment for a particular case of an injury.
Treatment
- Simultaneous plastic reconstruction is a surgery which both repairs the damage sustained during the injury and ensures there are no visible defects left after treating the injury, such as deformity of the nose. During the surgery, a doctor can use tracheal intubation in case the nose bone and airways have been damaged to assist a patient with breathing. The main objective of this surgery is to repair the injury and leave no trace of it altogether, so there are no scars in future and fine bone complexion is untouched. A dressing and sutures can be placed after the surgery to expedite the healing process.
Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko
