Facal Surgery

What is Facial Surgery?

Facial surgery is a branch of medicine that concentrates on the diagnosis and therapy of changes in the front of the head. It belongs to the categories of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Whenever possible, facial surgery carried out through the oral or nasal cavity without an external incision to achieve the best possible aesthetic result - the endoscopic procedures that are used, are also known as the "keyhole" technique.

Range of Services in Facial Surgery

The spectrum can be roughly divided as follows:

• Surgery of tumor diseases
• Surgery of malformations
• Traumatology of the facial area

Facial surgery is responsible for the removal of benign or malignant tumors from the face and scalp, oral cavity, nasal cavity, pharynx, and salivary glands. The diagnosis is usually provided by the treating dermatologist or ENT specialist.

Congenital malformations are usually corrected at a young age. The two most common surgeries are the correction of a cleft lip and palate and the correction of a misaligned jaw.

Accidents of any kind can lead to trauma in the facial area. The reconstruction of these injuries is particularly tricky, as many organs have to be taken into account, and at the same time, an aesthetically pleasing result is desired.

Aesthetic Facial Surgery

Aesthetic facial surgery describes the surgical change of the facial structure without any medical indication. The motivation lies in adapting the body to beauty ideas and ideals.

Aesthetic surgeries include:

• Blepharoplasty (eyelid correction)
• Nose correction
• Ear correction
• Face profile correction
• Facelift
• Wrinkle treatment

Reconstructive Facial Surgery

The goal of reconstructive facial surgery is to restore the form and function of the facial areas after traumas and tumor diseases. The functionality of the muscles and nerves are restored. The previous appearance or an aesthetically pleasing picture is supposed to be achieved in the skin and subcutaneous fatty tissue with a reconstruction.

The most frequently used methods are:

• Local flap plasty
• Tissue relocation
• Microvascular flap surgery

Facial Surgery in Children

Facial surgery in children is mainly engaged with congenital malformations. The most common correction is the surgery of cleft lip, jaw, and palate because these malformations affect one in 1000 newborns. The cleft may be unilateral or bilateral and should be approached as early as possible by an interdisciplinary team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ENT specialists, pediatricians, and speech therapists.

Another frequent reason for surgery in children is jaw misalignments, so-called dysgnathia. The bone malposition can also be the cause of tooth misalignment and lead to unphysiological tooth positions. The children and adolescents affected are in varying degrees of psychological stress due to the misaligned jaws, as it can lead to impaired speech and chewing. Abnormally positioned teeth lead to incorrect strain over a longer period. Besides, children suffer from a particular aesthetic defacement, since uneven teeth are perceived as unsightly, and the misalignment of the jaw consumes the facial proportions.

Frequent Facial Surgery

The most common fracture in the face is that of the cheekbone. In many cases, this is also associated with an injury to the eye socket. After significant and multiple fractures, the supporting pillars in the facial skull are initially restored to ensure exercise stability before plastic reconstruction can be carried out. Usually, fractures of the facial skull are treated with small titanium plates that remain temporarily in the face.

The most common aesthetic procedure in the face is the upper eyelid lift. In old age, the skin tissue can slacken, resulting in a so-called receding eyelid. Those affected look tired and worn out. The aim of the surgery is an attentive, awake, and rejuvenated look. To achieve this, excess fat and skin tissue is removed, and remaining tissue is stitched together with minimal scarring. Any asymmetries can also be compensated.

Which Doctors are Specialists in Facial Surgery in Germany and Switzerland?

Those who need a doctor want the best medical care. Therefore, the patient is wondering where to find the best clinic for facial surgery. Since this question cannot be answered objectively, and a reliable doctor would never claim to be the best one, we can only rely on the experience of a doctor.

The field of oral and maxillofacial medicine requires a special qualification, which means training in both medicine and dentistry. Oral and maxillofacial doctors first go through the six-year study of medicine and then the four-year shortened study of dentistry. After obtaining both approvals, the five-year specialist training oral and maxillofacial medicine is completed.

The surgical intervention on eyes for aesthetic reasons, for example, the correction of the eyelids or mouth falls within the specialty of plastic-aesthetic surgeons. Cosmetic surgeries on the nose and ears can also be carried out by ear, nose, and throat specialists with additional qualifications or plastic-aesthetic surgeons.

We will help you find an expert for your condition. All listed doctors and clinics have been checked by us for their outstanding specialization in facial surgery and are waiting for your inquiry or treatment request.

Sources:

• Thieme: Endspurt Vorklinik – Anatomie 3. 3. Auflage. Thieme 2013, ISBN 978-3-131-53392-0.
• Sadler: Medizinische Embryologie. 10. Auflage. Thieme 2003, ISBN 3-134-46610-4.
• Aumüller et al.: Duale Reihe Anatomie. Thieme 2006, ISBN 978-3-131-36041-0.
• Schünke et al. (Hrsg.): Prometheus Lernatlas der Anatomie: Kopf, Hals und Neuroanatomie. 4. Auflage. Thieme 2015, ISBN 978-3-131-39544-3
• Benninghoff, Drenckhahn: Taschenbuch Anatomie. Urban & Fischer 2007, ISBN 978-3-437-41194-6.