Man's face shattered in horrific fall in elevator

Mr. T. unfortunately stepped into the freight elevator shaft and hit his face directly on the metal wall on the elevator roof, causing severe damage to his jaw and face.

On November 11, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital informed that the hospital's doctors had received patient NMT (65 years old, Hanoi ) in a state of trauma, with complex injuries to the maxillofacial area after a rare work accident.

While working, Mr. T. unfortunately stepped into the freight elevator shaft and directly hit his face on the metal wall on the roof of the elevator while the elevator continued to move, causing severe damage to the jaw and face. The patient was hospitalized with a complex facial wound running from the lip to the left temple, along with a fracture of the lower jaw and upper jaw on the left cheekbone, "splitting" the left half of his face to one side like an open book.

More worryingly, along with that wound is the severed damage to important components of the face such as the root of the VII cranial nerve, the parotid duct, and the nasolacrimal duct, which will cause serious consequences to the patient's function and quality of life if not treated promptly.

Associate Professor Nguyen Hong Ha - Head of the Department of Maxillofacial, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery said that the professional council unanimously agreed to prescribe emergency surgery that night to control bleeding, preserve function and prevent long-term complications for the patient.

Doctor To Tuan Linh, Department of Maxillofacial, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery - a member of the surgical team, said that in the surgery that lasted many hours, the team combined the upper and lower jaw bones with a specialized maxillofacial screw system, cut and treated complex maxillofacial wounds to restore the anatomical structure of the facial components. In particular, microsurgery was performed to suture the VII nerve right at the nerve root near the point of exiting the mastoid bone as well as reconnect the parotid salivary gland duct and the left nasolacrimal duct to help preserve facial muscle movement, limit the risk of facial paralysis after trauma, as well as prevent complications caused by blockage and leakage of saliva and tears after surgery.

Associate Professor Ha analyzed that clinical practice shows that if the damage to the VII nerve and the lacrimal duct and parotid salivary duct is not treated promptly and properly, the patient may have to face many serious consequences: permanent facial paralysis causing loss of the ability to express emotions, causing difficulty in eating and speaking. The blockage causes continuous watery tears, causing purulent inflammation of the lacrimal sac and long-term effects that reduce the patient's vision, as well as the blockage of saliva leading to inflammation and abscesses in the cheek area. These are serious injuries that cause facial deformities that have long-term effects on the patient's health and life. Therefore, the early and accurate application of microsurgical techniques during emergency surgery is decisive in preserving physiological functions and optimal aesthetic recovery for the patient.

The surgery was safe, blood loss was controlled, and no complications were recorded during surgery. After surgery, the patient was conscious, hemodynamics were stable, and important structures such as the VII cranial nerve, lacrimal glands, and salivary glands were preserved, opening up the opportunity for comprehensive recovery of both motor function and aesthetics for the patient after surgery./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nguoi-dan-ong-vo-nat-mat-vi-cu-nga-kinh-hoang-trong-thang-may-post1076237.vnp