Matteo Brucoli

Analysis of complications following endoscopically assisted treatment of mandibular condylar fractures.

Background Within the field of facial reconstructive surgery, minimally invasive procedures are used for the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders, traumas, and salivary glands and base of skull tumors. The recent report of endoscopic approach for treating subcondylar fractures of the mandible is designed to provide a new method for the treatment of subcondylar fractures using an endoscope through a limited transoral incision. To the best of our knowledge, the advantages and the disadvantages of an endoscopically assisted approach to mandibular condylar fracture have not been verified in studies with a high level of evidence. The objective of this article was to present our experience regarding the endoscopically assisted reduction of subcondylar mandibular fractures with a special focus on complications. Methods The records of 14 patients who underwent surgical repair of subcondylar fractures by transoral endoscopic-assisted technique from January 2005 to December 2008 at the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of Novara Major Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The measures for the surgical objectives included the following outcome variables: (1) operation time, (2) cosmetic outcome, (3) salivary fistulas, (4) infection, (5) delayed wound healing, (6) facial nerve damage, (7) hemorrhage, (8) repeat interventions, (9) bone consolidation, (10) occlusion changes, and (11) temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Results Our data show that we have had 4 complications (28%) experienced by 4 different patients: (1) arterial hemorrhage, (2) facial nerve injury, (3) nonunion, and (4) partial condylar reabsorption. Conclusions Although we cannot draw statistically significant conclusions, we think that further randomized clinical trials should be necessary to analyze this method; we believe that there is not an ideal approach for a fracture, but each patient needs to be fully evaluated carefully preoperatively, and the more convenient approach needs to be selected for each case.

The Role of Fat Grafting in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Maxillofacial Deformities

Purpose The first autologous adipose tissue grafting was performed by Neuber in 1893 with an open approach. In the early 1980s, Illouz and Fournier introduced closed liposuction. In the 1990s, Coleman published a new method of atraumatic fat transplantation. Recently, immunohistochemical studies of the extracellular matrix of the lipoaspirate showed the presence of adipose-derived stem cells. The purpose of this study is to describe the role of fat grafting in the management of posttraumatic facial deformities. Methods The study population was composed of all patients who underwent facial fat grafting between March 2008 and November 2010 as a secondary reconstructive procedure after an initial unsatisfactory treatment of the skeletal fractures. We analyzed the postoperative morphological changes by comparing the grafted side of the face to the contralateral side with the aid of a software package. Results Nineteen patients were surgically treated with fat transplantation for facial asymmetry due to a pathological postoperative healing of the soft tissue. Clinical examination and software analysis showed adequate postoperative facial balance without major complications. Conclusion Fat grafting is a very powerful tool to correct posttraumatic maxillofacial deformities and to ensure a long-term follow-up. Although we have achieved excellent clinical results in our reconstructive clinical cases, we are convinced that more complex prospective studies, enriched by long-term radiological controls, are needed to fully understand the biological behavior of the transplanted fat in the posttraumatic face.

Surgical management of posttraumatic intraorbital hematoma.

Retrobulbar hematoma is a rare condition but represents a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. It occurs in between 0.3% and 3.5% of facial traumas and can be caused by direct or indirect injury of the orbit; they can be classified into intraorbital and subperiosteal hematoma. We describe 4 different cases of posttraumatic retrobulbar hematoma treated at the Unit of Maxillofacial Surgery of the Novara Major Hospital between January 2005 and December 2009, each different from the others for morphologic aspects, and we discuss its diagnosis and management. Surgery decompression of the orbit is recommended when visual deficit arises and when there is no response to pharmacologic therapy. Several techniques for orbital decompression have been proposed. The lateral canthotomy and/or the inferior cantholysis are the 2 techniques most practiced. Anterior-chamber paracentesis is effective, but it is rarely indicated for frequent complications such as cataract formation, herniation of the iris, infection, and trauma to the canal of Schlemm. Other procedures including transantral ethmoidectomy, transantral sphenoidectomy, and transfrontal craniotomy are described.

Maxillomandibular advancement in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a surgical model to investigate reverse face lift.

BackgroundThe aging process is characterized by multiple signs affecting the upper, the middle, and the lower third of the face; coventionally, face-lift procedures and structural fat grafting are performed to create a younger face. During the life, craniofacial skeleton atrophies, leading to a reduction of the facial height and depth, while increasing the facial width. Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) by orthognathic surgery restores the lost space dimension, projecting the cheeks, the mouth, and the nose. The aim of this study was to analyze the morphologic change of the face after MMA in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, focusing on the previously mentioned stigmata of the middle and the lower third of the aging face. MethodsThe records of 16 patients who underwent MMA for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome between January 2005 and December 2008 in the Unit of Maxillofacial Surgery at the Novara Major Hospital were included in this study. We explained to the patients the stigmata of a standard aging face, and we asked them to evaluate each sign affecting the middle and the lower third of their preoperative condition. One positive point was given for the presence of each sign reported by the patients. At 2 years after surgery, we asked the patients to evaluate the previously mentioned aging signs of their postoperative face. Again, 1 positive point was given for the presence of each sign reported by the patients. ResultsAlthough we did not perform statistical evaluation, 13 patients showed a degree of rejuvenation after MMA (the score of the postoperative face is less than the score of the preoperative face). Three patients reported no postoperative change; none reported a more aging face, with a successful “reverse face-lift” occurred in 81% of our cases. ConclusionsSimultaneous maxillary and mandibular advancements change the skeletal framework of the face, improving soft-tissue support and resulting in rejuvenation of the middle and the lower third of the face. This condition is demonstrated by the results of our study in that all patients appeared postoperatively more youthful from a self-evaluation.

Retroauricular transmeatal approach to manage mandibular condylar head fractures.

Background: There is a multitude of reported surgical approaches and technical variants with some unresolved technical problems to gain direct access to mandibular condylar head fractures; they can be divided into 2 groups: intraoral and extraoral. In 2005, Neff et al (Mund Kiefer Gesichtschir 2005;9:80), supported by a previous experimental work, reported a successful clinical study of condylar head fractures treated by a retroauricular approach; this article is in German, and the later English-language literature does not mention about this approach to open reduction and internal fixation of mandibular condylar fractures. The retroauricular transmeatal access, selected and performed by the senior author to treat 14 patients affected by highly located condylar head fracture, is illustrated in details. Methods: We collected data of 14 consecutive adult patients who, after the discussion about all options, had consented to have 16 mandibular condylar head fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation by miniplates and screws via a retroauricular transmeatal approach. We exposed the temporomandibular joint area easily and better by dissecting via a retroauricular route with identification, ligation, and transection of the retromandibular vein; because of the posterior access, the frontal branch of the facial nerve and the auriculotemporal nerve are located and protected within the substance of the anteriorly retracted flap, superficial to the retromandibular vein. The follow-up clinical examination showed temporary weakness of the frontal branch of the facial nerve in 1 case with a recovery to normal function of 1.6 months; no patients had permanent weakness of the facial nerve or injury of the auriculotemporal nerve. There was absence of any salivary fistula, sialocele, and Frey syndrome; hearing was preserved in all cases, without any auditory stenosis or aesthetic deformity, and there was absence of any infections, hematoma, or scarring. Conclusions: Retroauricular approach provides good exposure of the temporomandibular joint and satisfactory protection from nerve injuries and vascular lesions, allowing an adequate osteosynthesis. The scar is hidden behind the ear, and the morbidity is low in terms of auditory stenosis, aesthetic deformity, and salivary fistulas.

Direct access to a frontal sinus osteoma and reconstruction of the orbital roof displaced by the lesion by titanium mesh.

Abstract Osteomas are the most common benign tumors of the paranasal sinuses. They are usually localized in the frontal sinus and less often in the other paranasal sinuses. In this article, we report the surgical treatment of an unknown frontal sinus osteoma discovered after an acute exophthalmos. We have chosen an external approach to obtain a radical excision of the tumor, but we prefer a direct frontal incision following a horizontal wrinkle to the classic bicoronal flap to avoid an unsightly scar because of patient’s hair loss. We discuss the surgical approach, the reconstruction of the roof of the orbit involved, and patient’s satisfaction.

Gardner syndrome: presurgical planning and surgical management of craniomaxillofacial osteomas.

Gardner syndrome, a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis, is an autosomal dominant genetic disease characterized by the combined presence of multiple intestinal polyps and extraintestinal manifestations. The extraintestinal manifestations include multiple osteomas, connective tissue tumors, thyroid carcinomas, and hypertrophy of the pigmented epithelium of the retina. Osteoma is a benign neoplasm of bone tissue characterized by slow continuous growth that usually affects the long bones and cranial bones and is a major symptom for Gardner syndrome. The authors report the extraintestinal lesions affecting the maxillofacial regions in 2 male patients (father and son) with Gardner syndrome. The presurgical planning and surgical management of these lesions are described.

Transient cardiac failure due to Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after surgical reduction of nasal fracture.

Introduction: Takotsubo syndrome, also known as ampulla cardiomyopathy, broken heart syndrome, idiopathic apical ballooning syndrome, and stress-induced myocardial stunning, has been first described by Japanese authors in 1996 and subsequently specified in 2001; it derives from the resemblance between the ancient round-bottomed, narrow-necked Japanese fishing pots used to trap octopus in Asia and the end-systolic appearance of the left ventricle on ventriculography. Clinical Report: We introduce the case of a woman who was involved in a traffic car crash and, subsequently, was admitted to the Maxillo-Facial Unit of the Novara Major Hospital with a diagnosis of nasal fracture. She underwent general anesthesia for the reduction of the fracture; after surgery, she developed acute chest pain, elevated cardiac biomarkers, ischemic electrocardiogram changes, and transient akinesis of the left ventricle without significant epicardial coronary artery disease. A diagnosis of takotsubo syndrome was made. Conclusions: This syndrome, which presents the same clinical features of a ventricular failure, is probably underdiagnosed, but after the introduction of sophisticated cardiac imaging and coronary intervention, more cases are identified and an unnecessary thrombolytic therapy can be spared. This reversible condition, which is, to our knowledge, never mentioned after a craniomaxillofacial surgical procedure, should be considered in the diagnostic algorithm for all patients presenting with acute onset of chest pain, elevated cardiac biomarkers, and ischemic changes on the electrocardiogram after a general anesthesia.

Analysis of the retroauricular transmeatal approach: a novel transfacial access to the mandibular skeleton

In 2005 experimental work was published about the successful surgical management of fractures of the condylar head through a retroauricular approach. There were two reports in German, and later publications have not mentioned this route to open reduction and internal fixation of such fractures. The approach was studied in Germany but was poorly described and illustrated; later reports in English do not mention this route to the mandible. The aim of this study was to illustrate the retroauricular transmeatal approach, and briefly to review current surgical approaches to the mandibular skeleton and their technical variants. We exposed the mandibular skeleton by a retroauricular transmeatal route with transection of the external ear, dissection of the parotid gland, isolation of the retromandibular vein, and protection of the frontal branch of the facial nerve and the auriculotemporal nerve within the substance of the anteriorly retracted flap. Although we cannot draw any significant conclusions, the retroauricular transmeatal approach ensures extremely low risk of injury to the facial nerve, and leaves an invisible scar. The morbidity is low in terms of facial nerve lesions, vascular injuries, aesthetic deformity, auditory stenosis, salivary fistulas, sialocele and Frey syndrome. We think that further prospective clinical trials are needed better to assess and eventually develop this approach.

A benign isolated schwannoma of the orbit.

Schwannomas are benign encapsulated tumors, originating from Schwann cells of the peripheral nerves. Schwannomas accounts for approximately 1% of all orbital tumors. Most schwannomas originate from branches of the oculomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, and abducens nerves and from sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers. The progressive growth may cause compression of the optic nerve with papilledema or optic atrophy. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment are necessary to avoid important ocular consequences. We report a successful surgical treatment of orbital schwannoma in a 75-year-old woman.