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What is Facial Trauma?
Facial trauma results from incidents such as falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, animal attacks, and assaults. These injuries can involve blunt trauma (such as hitting the pavement), penetrating trauma (knife or gunshot wounds), and avulsion (tissue torn away forcefully).
Facial trauma can cause broken bones, nerve damage, and soft tissue injuries to areas such as the ears, nose, eyelids, and lips.
Common symptoms of facial trauma
Facial trauma includes:
- Broken jaw or cheekbones.
- Damage to scalp, eyelids, nose, ears, lips, or tongue.
- Loss of facial symmetry.
- Pain or difficulty with chewing.
- Scarring or pain from lacerations or burns.
- Teeth not touching properly.
Our goal is to restore facial contours and symmetry and improve vital functions like breathing, chewing, and speaking.
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Facial Trauma Conditions We Treat
We provide comprehensive care for a wide range of facial trauma injuries, including:
Facial fractures (broken bones) including:
- Frontal bone (forehead).
- Mandible (lower jaw).
- Maxilla (upper jaw).
- Nasal bone/septum (nose/airway).
- Orbit (bones around the eye).
- Zygoma (cheekbone).
Soft tissue injuries, such as lacerations (cuts) or avulsions (parts torn away), including:
- Eyelid injuries.
- Facial scarring from accidents, burns, or surgeries.
- Nerve damage.
- Nose, lips, and ears.
- Scalp trauma.
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How We Treat Facial Trauma
Our plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and specialize in reconstructing complex facial injuries. Timing is critical – most facial fractures and nerve injuries need to be treated within a two-week window to ensure proper healing.
Our treatment includes:
- Facial fracture repair — Treating broken bones, such as the mandible, maxilla, zygomatic bone, nasal bone, and orbital bones.
- Nerve reconstruction — Repairing nerves that control facial muscles or give feeling to skin, lips, and gums.
- Scar revision — Minimizing and treating scarring to restore the natural look of your skin.
- Soft tissue reconstruction — Repairing damage to the scalp, eyelids, nose, ears, lips, and tongue.
Certain injuries may need several months to heal before reconstruction is completed. For complex cases like nose and ear reconstruction, we often perform procedures in stages for the best outcome.
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What to Expect At Your Initial Visit for Facial Trauma Reconstruction
At your initial visit, your plastic surgeon will perform a comprehensive physical examination and review your imaging studies. Most patients have already been evaluated in an emergency department before coming to the plastic surgery clinic.
If a CT scan was performed at a UPMC facility, your plastic surgeon will have direct access to it. If you were seen at a non-UPMC emergency department, our office can request the necessary scans before your visit.
During this consultation, your surgeon will discuss all available treatment options and help you determine if surgery is the right choice for your recovery. For fresh facial fractures, surgery is ideally scheduled within the first two weeks of the injury.
Our team uses advanced techniques, including 3D-printed models and custom surgical plates. We may collaborate with oral surgeons or other specialists to provide the best possible care.
Being seen early — ideally within the first week — allows our plastic surgeons to effectively plan your treatment and use the latest technology to achieve optimal outcomes.
Is it too late for facial reconstruction?
It’s never too late to seek care. Even if weeks, months, or years have passed since the injury, our skilled plastic surgeons can still perform reconstructive procedures to improve both appearance and function. We can develop a personalized plan to help you, no matter when the trauma occurred.
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Why Choose UPMC Plastic Surgery for Facial Trauma Reconstruction?
- Expert plastic surgeons — Our board-certified plastic surgeons specialize in facial trauma and reconstruction.
- Advanced technology — We use the latest tools and techniques to provide the best outcomes.
- Comprehensive care — From surgery to rehabilitation, we provide holistic care tailored to your unique needs.
- Collaborative approach — Our plastic surgeons will collaborate with other specialties to deliver the best outcomes possible.
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Contact Us
If you’ve experienced a facial injury, time is critical.
Schedule a consultation with our expert plastic surgery team at UPMC for a customized treatment plan that will help restore both your appearance and function.
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By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-02-28 by Mario Solari, MD.