Pediatric facial trauma and reconstruction surgery
Injuries are a part of growing up. But when injuries need medical attention, timely access to surgical care is essential. In our pediatric facial trauma and reconstruction surgery program, we treat everything from minor scrapes or bruises to serious injuries. When those injuries involve the head or neck, our pediatric ear, nose, throat (ENT) and facial plastic surgery team is here for every step of your child’s care.
We focus on your child’s future development. When reconstructing the face after trauma, we carefully consider how treatment will affect facial growth over time. Our team has extensive experience caring for children after facial injuries and always plans with these important factors in mind.
Getting ready for ENT surgery
If your child is scheduled for surgery, please see our eating and drinking guidelines as you prepare your child for surgery.
Conditions we treat
Facial trauma
Facial trauma refers to any injury to the face, nose, or jaw. Facial trauma can involve soft-tissue injuries to the skin and soft tissue of the face, as well as their underlying bony structures. There are also many structures in the head and neck that perform special functions, such as vision and the eyes, hearing structures of the ears, the trachea and voice box for breathing and speech, among other important nerves and blood vessels. All of these have the potential to be injured and need to be considered when caring for children with facial trauma.
What causes facial trauma and how it is treated
There are many potential causes for facial trauma in children, including:
- Falls
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Contact or collision sports
- Recreational activities
- Bicycle riding
- Dog bites
Treatment for pediatric facial trauma depends on the extent of the injury. Here’s what you can expect:
- Soft tissue injuries: These injuries can be treated with a variety of techniques, ranging from allowing time for wounds to heal on their own, to surgical repair to restore appearance and function.
- Facial fractures: Many fractures can often be left to heal on their own, but if the bones of the face are misaligned or unstable, they occasionally need to be reconstructed with plates and screws.
- Special structures of the head and neck: Areas like the eyes, ears or airway may also need specialized care to protect vision, hearing, breathing and speech.
Scar revisions
Scar revision is a procedure to improve the appearance of an existing scar.
What causes scars and how scar revision is treated
There are many potential causes for scars in children, including:
- Skin condition
- Surgery
- Facial trauma
Despite the appropriate treatment and everyone’s best efforts, the body heals in ways that affect how the face looks or works. Scars can become thick, wide or change the natural shape of facial features. This may impact movement of the lips or eyelids.
Treatment depends on the type of scar. Some typical treatments include:
- Surgical removal of scar tissue
- Laser therapy to smooth and soften scars
- Medication injections to reduce thickness and improve flexibility
Facial lesions
Facial lesions are growths or abnormalities on the skin of the face, neck or throat.
What causes scars and how scar revision is treated
There are many potential causes for facial lesions in children:
Some children are born with skin lesions on the face that can affect appearance or function. These lesions are usually present at birth and most are harmless. If a lesion causes problems, it can be removed with surgery.
Some typical treatments include:
Surgery to remove the skin lesion followed by reconstruction of the skin area using a variety of different techniques, depending on the size and location of the skin lesion.
