Management of soft tissue wounds of the face

Since time, immemorial soft-tissue injuries to the face have been documented in literature and even depicted in sculptures, reflecting the image of society. In a polytrauma the face may be involved or there may be isolated injury to the face. The face consists of several organs and aesthetic units. The final outcome depends on initial wound care and primary repair. So one should know the "do's and don'ts". Disfigurement following trauma, becomes a social stigma and has the gross detrimental effect on the personality and future of the victim. Therefore, such cases are most appropriately managed by Plastic Surgeons who have a thorough knowledge of applied anatomy, an aesthetic sense and meticulous atraumatic tissue handling expertise, coupled with surgical skill to repair all the composite structures simultaneously.