Enhanced Submentoplasty as an Adjunct to Orthognathic Surgery for the Improvement of the Neck-Throat Point.

Orthognathic surgery has been used to enhance the function of the maxillomandibular complex with numerous positive effects on facial esthetics, as it can profoundly alter the skeletal architecture of the face. Numerous adjunctive surgical techniques are used to enhance the overall cosmetic results of orthognathic surgery to include the following: genioplasty, midface augmentation, rhinoplasty, fillers, and liposuction. Mandibular advancement, submental liposuction and genioplasty are all techniques that help to define the neck throat point (NTP), minimize submental sagging, and enhance throat length (TL) in order to establish a more harmonious facial profile. However, these procedures may still be insufficient to define the NTP in the low hyoid, retrognathic patient. This report presents the case of an adult male, with a non-existent NTP and retrognathia, who underwent corrective orthognathic surgery with the novel enhanced submentoplasty and a suture assisted resuspension of the platysma in order to establish the NTP, increase TL, minimize submental sagging, and enhance mandibular border definition.

Traumatic Facial Tattoo Injuries From Gunpowder and Ammunition: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: Gunpowder inclusion injuries are rare occurrences in the civilian sector but are more frequently encountered in the military setting. The authors report a case series of 3 active duty military service members treated by an Army hospital's Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery service for the removal of embedded gunpowder particles so as to avoid traumatic tattooing. CASE DESCRIPTION: Three otherwise healthy active duty military service members were treated for gunpowder inclusion injuries incurred while conducting live fire training exercises at a state-side military installation between 2018 and 2019. All 3 males presented with injuries of the same etiology: Their weapons malfunctioned, and while visually inspecting the action, a round exploded close to the face. This peppered the face with gunpowder particles that were both superficially and deeply embedded. Treatment focused on individual removal using fine forceps. The patients were followed up and healed quickly without any complications, specifically without traumatic tattooing from the gunpowder injuries. CONCLUSION AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Gunpowder inclusion injuries should be addressed quickly to remove the particles before epidermal healing occurs, thus avoiding the complication of traumatic tattooing. This surgical team recommends meticulous fine forceps removal as the treatment of choice for larger particles.