Advanced Cranio Maxillary Fractures Fixation Course

Ludhiana, October 23, 2018: An advanced Cranio Maxillary Fractures Fixation Course was organised wherein 30 select Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons from J&K, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi were trained in the advanced techniques of Facial Bone Fracture Fixation on Skull Models. Dr Ashwani Chaudhary , Medical Superintendent DMC & Hospital and an eminent neurosurgeon inaugurated the Hands On Workshop . Speaking on the occasion , he said that in developed countries, the leading causes of facial trauma and associated head injury are motor vehicle accidents. Thus preventive efforts should include awareness campaigns to educate the public about safety measures such as seat belts and motorcycle helmets, and strict enforcement of the laws to prevent drunk and unsafe driving. Dr Sanjeev Uppal , the Course Director and Head of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at DMCH briefed that Facial trauma, also called maxillofacial trauma, is any physical trauma to the face. Facial trauma can involve soft tissue injuries such as burns, lacerations and bruises, or fractures of the facial bones such as nasal fractures and fractures of the jaw, as well as trauma such as eye injuries. Symptoms are specific to the type of injury; for example, fractures may involve pain, swelling, loss of function, or changes in the shape of facial structures. Other Faculty members who delivered the talks included Dr Jayanthi Mala , Dr Rajinder Mittal , Dr Ramneesh Garg and Dr Sheerin Shah . There were 7 didactic lectures and two sessions of hands on workshop . Group discussions followed after the workshop . Facial injuries have the potential to cause disfigurement and loss of function; for example, blindness or difficulty moving the jaw can result. Although it is seldom life-threatening, facial trauma can also be deadly, because it can cause severe bleeding or interference with the airway; thus a primary concern in treatment is ensuring that the airway is open and not threatened so that the patient can breathe. Depending on the type of facial injury,initial treatment may include bandaging and suturing of open wounds, antibiotics and pain killers. Followed by this the fractured and displaced bones are reduced back into place, and fixed with plates and screws. When fractures are suspected x rays, OPG and CT Scans are used for diagnosis. Treatment aims to repair the face's natural bony architecture and to leave as little apparent trace of the injury as possible . Mr Prem Kumar Gupta , Secretary Managing Society DMCH stressed upon the need of these kind of continuous medical education workshops to keep the doctors updated about the recent developments in the techniques and equipment .