Assaulted 6 months ago. Saw awful surgeon outside of seattle to fix facial fractures including zygomatic break. Have mesh under eye due to full blow out. Butterfly next to nose touches nerves in teeth - driving me nuts, also looks permanently swollen. Large chunk of bone was removed from there. Can butterfly be replaced by anything else or better positioned? Butterfly in upper jaw also needs to be removed as I can touch it above my teeth, also painful. What kind of doc should I go to?
January 29, 2016
Answer: Seek Some Other Opinions You have been through a lot and you can be helped. It will be necessary to obtain your hospital records and all the scans. The operative report by the surgeon and the records can be reviewed at your consult.The reconstruction plates can be removed but it will entail re-opening the area and risking new scar.It is important to see several surgeons to see who might do the best job of helping you.
Helpful 4 people found this helpful
January 29, 2016
Answer: Seek Some Other Opinions You have been through a lot and you can be helped. It will be necessary to obtain your hospital records and all the scans. The operative report by the surgeon and the records can be reviewed at your consult.The reconstruction plates can be removed but it will entail re-opening the area and risking new scar.It is important to see several surgeons to see who might do the best job of helping you.
Helpful 4 people found this helpful
January 29, 2016
Answer: Problems following major facial fractures Thanks for your question and I'm sorry to hear of the problems you've been having.To answer your specific question about what kind of doctor should you go to, the short answer is: you should go to someone who specialises in post traumatic facial reconstruction - whether that be a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, maxillofaciallosurgeon, craniofacial surgeon, whoever. I am a plastic surgeon so I am biased towards my own discipline, but you need someone good to handle your revision case.In terms of what needs to be done, you will need imaging, such as CT, to determine where things are. Your surgeon will then make a plan to get things to where they should be - removing plates/ performing osteotomies (cut the bones)/ bone grafting (taking bone from elsewhere to place in any bony defects)/ putting things back where they should be and then holding them there with plates and screws.Nerve damage is often a consequence of the initial injury and not the treatment, so there are no guarantees of cure there. Sometimes medications can help with this. The swelling following revision facial trauma surgery is often worse than that associated with the original injury.Good luck with your treatment and I hope this helps.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
January 29, 2016
Answer: Problems following major facial fractures Thanks for your question and I'm sorry to hear of the problems you've been having.To answer your specific question about what kind of doctor should you go to, the short answer is: you should go to someone who specialises in post traumatic facial reconstruction - whether that be a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, maxillofaciallosurgeon, craniofacial surgeon, whoever. I am a plastic surgeon so I am biased towards my own discipline, but you need someone good to handle your revision case.In terms of what needs to be done, you will need imaging, such as CT, to determine where things are. Your surgeon will then make a plan to get things to where they should be - removing plates/ performing osteotomies (cut the bones)/ bone grafting (taking bone from elsewhere to place in any bony defects)/ putting things back where they should be and then holding them there with plates and screws.Nerve damage is often a consequence of the initial injury and not the treatment, so there are no guarantees of cure there. Sometimes medications can help with this. The swelling following revision facial trauma surgery is often worse than that associated with the original injury.Good luck with your treatment and I hope this helps.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
