Cranio-orbito-facial injuries: technical suggestions.

Eight per cent of 387 acutely head-injured patients had concomitant orbitofacial injuries. Irrespective of the magnitude of brain injury, the main surgical goals in such cases treated were closure of CSF fistulas, maximizing recovery of eye movement, visual and masticatory function, and esthetic reconstruction. The strictly neurosurgical lesions should be dealt with at once because of the risk of intracranial infection. Antibiotic acrylic and antibiotic wax are valuable in such intervention. In most cases it is advantageous to treat lesions of the upper two thirds of the facial complex in the same operative session. For this reason neurosurgeons who do not have ready access to a maxillofacial specialist should be prepared to cope with the problems presented by orbitofacial injuries.