A multidisciplinary approach to management of extensive facial injuries resulting from the use of an angle grinder

Angle grinders utilise a rapidly rotating metal or carbon disc to cut, grind and polish metal, concrete and other hard surfaces. Improper use with disregard to safety procedures can result in serious injuries, most commonly involving the face and upper limbs. Although these injuries can be mutilating, they are rarely fatal and inmost patients a good aesthetic result is achievable with meticulous debridement, reduction and fixation of any facial fractures and layered closure of the soft tissues. We report the successful treatment of a patient with lifethreatening injuries resulting from accidental trauma involving an angle grinder. The complex, penetrating and open soft tissue injury and associated fractures involving the facial skeleton, required multi-specialty intervention for maintenance of the airway, arrest of facial haemorrhage, debridement and closure of the soft tissue defect, reduction and fixation of mandibular fracture, microscopic reconstruction of the parotid and lacrimal ducts, and embolisation of the internal maxillary artery.