Craniofacial trauma: an assessment of risk related to timing of surgery

Following the retrospective analysis of approximately 4000 head-injury patients, 49 were identified with a combination of displaced facial fractures and significant cerebral trauma. The purpose of this study was to define clinical and radiographic features in these patients that are associated with a poor prognosis, which in turn might influence the timing of facial fracture repair. The presence of an upper-level facial fracture, low Glasgow coma score, intracranial hemorrhage, displacement of normally midline cerebral structures, and multisystem trauma was associated with a statistically significant poorer prognosis. Additionally, in demographically similar groups of patients (age, sex, concomitant injury) preselected for intracranial pressures of less than 15 mmHg at the time of surgery, no significant difference in survival was appreciated in patients who underwent early (0 to 3 days), middle (4 to 7 days), or late (greater than 7 days) surgical repair. Early surgical repair of facial fractures in these circumstances does not appear to have a negative impact on recovery.