[The subciliar incision as an infraorbital approach in caring for midface fractures]

As an infraorbital approach in the operative treatment of fractures of the midface, the zygoma and the orbital floor, the transconjunctival, the subciliar, the median eyelid and the orbital rim incision were proposed. In the Department of Oral- and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University Hospital Kiel we use the subciliar access to the infraorbital region. Between 1983 and 1988 105 subciliar incisions were performed in 448 traumatologic operative procedures. In the clinical follow-up examinations of 52 patients merely three of the cases presented dissatisfying results. We regard this type of incision to represent a favorable approach to the infraorbital region. Disturbing scar formation can principally be avoided.