Facial Reconstruction

Facial Reconstruction in Annapolis, MD with Dr. Sandel

Facial reconstruction surgery corrects deformities or disfigurement caused by birth defects, disease, or injury. It addresses both facial appearance and function — such as breathing, blinking, and facial expression. At Sandel Duggal Plastic Surgery, we use the most advanced techniques in reconstructive surgery, combining technical and medical skills with sophisticated aesthetic expertise. We understand how essential your face is to your identity, and work closely with you to restore your facial appearance and function so you can feel like yourself again.

Dr. Sandel has extensive experience in performing facial reconstruction procedures. Dr. Sandel has dual board certification in facial plastic and plastic reconstructive surgery and otolaryngology (head and neck surgery). Contact us today to schedule a consultation in Annapolis.

What Is a Facial Reconstruction?

Facial reconstruction is a broad term for a range of corrective facial plastic surgery procedures. Skilled surgeons may combine techniques or procedures to restore facial appearance and function.

This occurs after injury — from a car crash, physical violence, or other trauma — may involve realigning bone fragments; minimizing scar tissue; and restoring function to facial nerves, tear ducts, or salivary glands. It might require surgery to restore form and function to muscles, bones, skin, nerves, cartilage, and connective tissue on different parts of the face and neck. People who have been disfigured in an accident often need facial reconstruction surgery after undergoing initial life-saving measures.

This surgery restores as much facial mobility as possible by correcting damage to nerves and muscles. It may also include facial plastic surgery to achieve symmetry in facial features.

Scar revision makes scar tissue less visible when wounds, burns, surgery, acne, or other causes leave the skin damaged.mmetry in facial features.

Nose reshaping surgery may be necessary when an injury or illness leaves the nose disfigured. Rhinoplasty can restore a symmetrical and attractive appearance to the nose and simultaneously address breathing problems.

Ear reconstruction surgery may be necessary when one or both ears are malformed from birth or become disfigured after an injury or illness.

Reconstruction after cancer treatment or tumor removal may involve skin grafts, tissue rearrangement, or more complex transfer of skin, bone, or cartilage to restore normal facial appearance and function.

Why Might I Consider Facial Reconstruction?

Facial reconstruction surgery can treat your face after injury or illness. You may need facial reconstruction surgery if your face has been disfigured by:

Facial reconstruction can also correct functional impairments caused by traumatic injury or illness. These include:

No matter how minor or severe your facial injury or disfigurement, facial reconstruction can help. At the Sandel Duggal Plastic Surgery, our priority is to provide the most sophisticated plastic surgery treatments in close consultation with our patients and with personal attention throughout the process.

Dr. Sandel close up

Schedule A Consultation

Dr. Henry D. Sandel specializes as a facial plastic surgeon, offering multiple surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation methods to his Annapolis area patients. Dr. Sandel specializes in facelift, neck lift and brow lift. To see if one or more of these options are right for you, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with our team today. Dr. Sandel and the rest of our team are eager to meet with you!

How Do Surgeons Perform Facial Reconstruction?

Plastic surgeons customize every facial reconstruction surgery to the unique needs of the patient and the nature of the injury, malformation, or disfigurement. Dr. Sandel will perform a thorough analysis of your face, with X-rays, photographs, or other imaging, and suggest a personalized treatment plan. Dr. Sandel uses many different procedures in facial reconstruction. In some cases, a combination of procedures is necessary, and your surgeon may stage these in more than one surgery over time. Your doctor will explain all this during your consultation, including the specific procedure or procedures recommended for you.

Your surgeon will perform post-traumatic facial reconstruction in our West Annapolis Surgery Center while you are asleep under general anesthesia. To rebuild facial features, we may take skin, bone, muscle, or other tissue from another part of your body and use it to reconstruct the damaged area. We call this microvascular free tissue transfer, or a “free-flap” procedure. Your doctor may also use implants and stabilizing plates or screws.

Other types of facial reconstruction may only require local anesthesia and mild sedation. To make scars less visible or restore skin that has experienced damage from burns or the removal of cancer or tumors, many treatment options are possible, including steroid treatment, skin grafts, or Z-plasty surgery. Reconstructive surgery that involves the nose and mouth will affect the airways and breathing. Dr. Sandel performs these procedures using his dual training and board certification in facial plastic and plastic reconstructive surgery and otolaryngology. An otolaryngologist treats the nose, throat, and neck — the upper portion of the airway.

What to Expect in Recovery

Because the range of facial reconstruction procedures is so broad, there is no single description of what you can expect in recovery. Simple treatments have faster recovery times, while more extensive facial reconstruction may require a lengthy recovery period. For most procedures, you will probably need to wear a gauze bandage. You may want to take over-the-counter medications to manage discomfort.

Dr. Sandel will provide detailed instructions for your care in recovery, including directions for preventing infection, a timeline for rest and recuperation, and a schedule of follow-up appointments.

Facial Reconstruction FAQs

Insurance rarely covers the cost of elective plastic surgery performed merely to improve appearance, but typically does cover medically necessary treatment. Because facial reconstruction can correct functional problems and problems present at birth or as the result of an illness or accident, your insurance may cover all or some of the cost. Dr. Sandel can advise you with more specifics as part of your consultation.

Dr. Sandel has extensive experience in performing aesthetic facial procedures, and the beautifully customized and natural results show in the before-and-after pictures of their patients. Dr. Sandel also has special training and board certification in otolaryngology, which is critical to reconstructive surgery involving your nose, mouth, throat, and upper airway. They take the time to listen to and understand the goals of each of their patients and make sure that patients never feel rushed in their consultations. Dr. Sandel treats patients as they would their family members — with honest guidance as to the best choice of procedures and personal attention throughout the process.

Contact Us Today

The Sandel Duggal Center for Plastic Surgery is one of the top plastic surgery practices in Maryland and is consistently rated the top practice in Annapolis. Schedule a consultation today with Dr. Henry Sandel to learn more about what a facial reconstruction can do for you. Contact us online or call (410) 266-7120.

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