Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Scar Management After Surgical Repair of Lateral Facial Clefts

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The prevention of scar contracture after surgery is an important aspect of lateral facial cleft repair. Maintaining adequate mouth opening is essential for speech, expression, chewing, oral hygiene and psychosocial well-being. Although there have been extensive reviews of non-surgical microstomia management in patients with oral electrical burns, there have been no reports on the use of oral commissure splints to manage the surgical scar in patients with lateral facial clefts. The case study presented here will demonstrate the clinical use of cheek retractors to provide physical resistance to scar contracture. We recommend early rehabilitation with cheek retractors to minimize scar contracture and the negative sequelae of scarred tissues on the dentition after lateral facial cleft repair.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sowande OA, Anyanwu LC, Ademuyiwa AO et al (2011) Macrostomia: a report of three cases. Head Neck Surg 66:354–356

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Yiltok SJ, Gontour SS, Nnadozie UU et al (2007) Isolated bilateral macrostomia: case series and review of literature. Afr J Paediatr Surg 4:41–45

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bauer BS, Margulis A (2002) Invited discussion of surgical repair for congenital macrostomia: vermillion square flap method. Ann Plast Surg 48:328–329

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Penna KJ, Sadoff RS (1998) Prevention of microstomia following facial burns. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 36:146–147

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Maragakis GM, Garcia-Tempone M (1998) Microstomia following facial burns. J Clin Pediatr Dent 23:69–74

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bedard JF, Thongthammachat S, Toljanic J (2003) Adjunctive commissure splint therapy: a revised approach. J Prosthet Dent 89:408–411

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Larson DL, Abston S, Evans EB et al (1971) Techniques for decreasing scar formation and contractures in the burned patient. J Trauma 11:807–823

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Makhija LK, Jha MK, Bhattacharya S et al (2011) Transverse facial cleft: a series of 17 cases. Indian J Plast Surg 44:439–443

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Reisberg DJ, Fine L, Fattore L et al (1983) Electrical burns of the oral commissure. J Prosthet Dent 49:71–76

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Gulses A (2011) Microstomia: A rare but serious oral manifestation of inherited disorders. In: Ikehara K (ed) Advances in the study of genetic disorders. Intech, New York, pp 449–472

    Google Scholar 

  11. Thomas SS (1996) Electrical burns of the mouth: still searching for an answer. Burns 22:137–140

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Yeroshalmi F, Sidoti E, Adamo AK (2011) Oral electrical burns in children—a model of multidisciplinary care. J Burn Care Res 32:e25–e30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wust KJ (2006) A modified dynamic mouth splint for burn patients. J Burn Care Res 27:86–92

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Conine TA, Carlow DL, Stevenson-Moore P (1987) Dynamic orthoses for the management of microstomia. J Rehabil Res Dev 24:43–48

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Dougherty ME, Warden GD (2003) A thirty-year review of oral appliances used to manage microstomia, 1997 to 2002. J Burn Care Rehabil 24:418–431

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Shehan MT, Medford HM (1986) A simplified splint for decreasing or preventing stenostomia in patients with burns. Spec Care Dent 6:36–37

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This project did not receive any grants or other forms of financial support. The authors have no financial, consultant, institutional and other relationships with the manufacturer, The Orthodontic Store, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD) of the Ortho-Perfect Extra-Oral Retractor reported in this manuscript that might lead to bias or a conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rush University College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Vicky Kang

  2. Rush Craniofacial Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Vicky Kang & Alvaro A. Figueroa

  3. Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Chicago School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Russell R. Reid

Authors
  1. Vicky Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alvaro A. Figueroa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Russell R. Reid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alvaro A. Figueroa.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Vicky Kang, MD, declares that she has no conflict of interest. Alvaro A. Figueroa, DDS, MS, declares that he has no conflict of interest. Russell R. Reid, MD PhD, declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical Standards

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human participants by any of the authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kang, V., Figueroa, A.A. & Reid, R.R. Scar Management After Surgical Repair of Lateral Facial Clefts. J. Maxillofac. Oral Surg. 17, 197–200 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12663-017-1024-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12663-017-1024-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation