A shocking craniofacial penetrating injury by a steel bar

Abstract

Owing to the diversity in cause and damage, there is no standard surgical treatment method for a complicated penetrating craniofacial injury. The treatment of a complicated penetrating head injury caused by a steel bar is presented here. A 66-year-old woman fell onto a steel bar at a construction site and it penetrated the mandible, entered the sinus and orbital cavities, and reached the base of the frontal bone. A multi-disciplinary team including a neurosurgeon, otolaryngologist, and plastic surgeon was involved in removing the steel bar. The patient survived without sequelae except for blindness in the right eye. Despite the lack of standardized surgical treatment for a complicated penetrating craniofacial injury, aggressive treatment by a multidisciplinary team can result in good outcomes.