What is craniofacial surgery?

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Published on March 22, 2017 by shiva

Craniofacial surgery also called as craniofacial reconstruction is a surgical procedure to repair and reshape the face and skull. It is also done to create the head or skull of a missing or dead individual. The term craniofacial is derived from the word “cranium” which is the upper portion of your skull and the “facial” to represent your face.

Craniofacial surgery is also called orbital-craniofacial surgery in which the term “orbital” is used to represent the bone cavity of your face that surrounds your eyeball.

Purpose of Craniofacial Surgery

The purpose of craniofacial surgery varies from person to person depending on their condition. The common purpose of craniofacial surgery is to repair abnormalities that are found in the skull and facial features. The birth defects or genetic disorders can also be repaired with craniofacial surgery.

Craniofacial Surgical Techniques

The techniques used in craniofacial sugery include the following:

  • Bone Grafting

During this procedure, bone grafts are generally used for support or fill the gaps present. Patient’s own bone material is used for this procedure. It is considered as one of the most reliable technique for craniofacial surgery which offers longevity, good growth and low risk of infections.

Mostly the donor sites for bone grafts will be hip, skull, ribs and tibia. Whenever a bone is removed from any part of your body, it may leave small scars.

  • Genioplasty

Genioplasty is the surgery of the chin that does not involve tooth-bearing part of the lower jaw. This surgical procedure helps in moving the chin forward, backward, upwards or downwards. Genioplasty is done usually by making an incision inside the mouth where your lower lip joins your lower gum.

Certain titanium screws or wires are used to reposition your bone. This repositioning is done by cutting your chin horizontally below the level of tooth roots.

The complete craniofacial surgery requires hospital stay for 4-5 days in the intensive care unit. The total length of hospital stay varied from person to person and the injuries the patient had in past.

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