Complications and Pitfalls in Maxillofacial Trauma

Complications and pitfalls are unavoidable sequel of any surgical procedure. Although advances have been made in surgical techniques and fi xation devices, these are far from ideal. The aim of trauma surgeon is to restore the patient to pre-injury form and function, but it may not be possible in each and every case. Treatment failure and poor outcome in a case of severe maxillofacial trauma is not uncommon. This is mainly dependent upon the extent of injury, delay in management, improper diagnosis, wrong treatment plan, poor execution of a treatment plan, wrong choice of fi xation devices, inexperience of the surgeon and inability to seek help from other specialists, etc. The objective of this article is to discuss and analyze common complications and pitfalls along with the various methods and modalities to prevent and manage it.