Books
Books
This book has been written to provide a basic education and awareness of the surgical specialty of Maxillofacial Surgery. It is not designed to be an all- inclusive text, but an outline of the terminology, anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment of the broad and complex array of maxillofacial and craniofacial problems. It is intended to serve as a pocket guide that is visually- oriented, can be quickly used as a reference, and read from cover to cover in a short period of time.
Maxillofacial surgery, a long-standing subspecialty of Plastic Surgery, had its beginnings in the early part of the 20th century during World War I when trench warfare created a large number of severe facial injuries. Their treatment required the development of an integrated approach of reconstructive surgery and dentistry which remains the guiding principles of Maxillofacial Surgery today. It has grown from its beginnings in facial trauma to include congenital cleft and craniofacial deformities, jaw surgery, reconstruction of extirpated tumor defects, to aesthetic facial surgery.
Maxillofacial surgery requires an understanding and assimilation of medical and dental principles involving anatomy, biomaterials, and manual dexterity. Surgical manipulation of facial anatomy is unforegiving in its visible outcome to the patient and society.
The specialty of Maxillofacial Surgery combines a knowledge base and techniques drawn from all of the head and neck disciplines with particular emphasis coming from plastic surgery. The field has expanded greatly over the latter half of the 20th century, led primarily by the interest and innovations established by the tenets of contemporary craniofacial surgery where maxillofacial surgery was expanded to the orbits, forehead, and the cranial cavity to make a better life possible for many congenitally deformed but intelligent human beings.
The specialty of Maxillofacial Surgery is designed to provide the highest standards of care for all surgery performed in the face and skull, whether it’s origin be of bone, soft tissue, or both. It can be difficult work in an anatomic area where many essential functional and aesthetic structures intermingle and proper training of the surgeon is paramount to achieve the desired end result, a patient with a more normal face and smile. It endeavors to achieve these aims through education, research, and awareness amongst the general public and medical field about the specialty. This handbook, in its own small way, is another brick for that building. May its reading provide insight into the astonishing work possible from Maxillofacial Surgery.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Published in 2003 with co-authors Dr. Peter Ward-Booth (United Kingdom) and Dr. Rainer Schmelzeisen (Germany), Dr. Eppley co-authored this now classic textbook entitled Maxillofacial Trauma and Esthetic Reconstruction. In a single volume, the comprehensive topic of the management of bone and soft tissue injuries to the face was done in just over 650 pages with 33 chapters and more than 500 color illustrations.
Bone and soft tissue facial trauma is one of the three major areas in the field of maxillofacial surgery. Having its origins in World War I and II from the last century where many facial injuries occurred, the need for specialized surgery methods for facial reconstruction began. It has now evolved into very sophisticated technologies for bone fixation and movement (plates and screws) as well as replacement of missing soft tissues. (pedicled and free flap transfers) The ‘high-rent’ district of the face allows the need for numerous medical specialities to participate including ophthalmology, neurosurgery, radiology, and dentistry in addition to the classic three surgical specialities of maxillofacial, plastic and otolaryngologic surgery. This book does an excellent job of bringing the knowledge base of all such disciplines together in a single concise volume.
One of the real strong points and emphasis in the book is what most facial trauma books historically lack, reconstruction of secondary facial defects. Despite the best surgical techniques and equipment, not all facial trauma patients end up with perfect results. Beyond simple lacerations and isolated bone fractures, the injury pattern of many facial trauma patients is complex and the best outcome will usually defy a single surgical effort. From scar revisions to occlusal discrepancies to soft tissue deficiences, secondary reconstruction of facial trauma is not rare and the book spends about as much time on those topics as that of primary repair.
This book is now undergoing a 2nd edition which should be forthcoming in the fall of 2011.