53429 - Complicated Mandible Fracture Open Reduction with Plate

The need for treatment of a complicated mandibular fracture involving viscera, blood vessels, or nerves, requiring open reduction and plating, arises when a patient sustains a severely complex mandibular fracture—often from extreme trauma like a gunshot—damaging adjacent structures such as the tongue, major vessels, or nerves, necessitating surgical exposure under anesthesia with assistance in a hospital to reposition the bone and secure it with a plate for strong stabilisation. This procedure is indicated for the most intricate mandibular fractures with soft tissue involvement, critical in the maxillofacial region where extensive damage affects jaw function and vital structures.

Several scenarios highlight the necessity of this intervention:

• Extreme trauma with visceral damage: A fracture tearing into the oral floor or tongue might require open reduction and plating to stabilise the bone and repair visceral injury.
• Vascular involvement: Severe bleeding from the facial artery could necessitate surgical control and plating to ensure stability during healing.
• Nerve compromise: A fracture impacting the inferior alveolar nerve might cause numbness, needing reduction and plate fixation to relieve pressure and maintain alignment.
• Jaw collapse: Extensive mandibular shattering could impair speech or swallowing, requiring plating to rebuild and stabilise the jaw.

For example, a patient with a mandibular fracture from a violent assault involving nerve damage might undergo open reduction with a plate to restore jaw alignment and sensation, with the assistant ensuring precise plate placement. In an aged care setting, an elderly patient with a complicated mandibular injury could benefit from this to maintain function, adjusted for their frailty and healing capacity. By surgically repositioning and plating the mandible, this service provides durable stability, protects vital structures, and manages complications, making it an advanced solution for the most severe mandibular fractures within the maxillofacial framework.

Provides durable mandibular stability, protects vital structures, and restores jaw function.

Recovery of 6-10 weeks with swelling, soft diet, and plate monitoring; hospital stay required.