Facial Reconstruction Surgery: Clinical Obstacles and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Disfiguring facial injuries, which can range from superficial damage to the skin to the complete loss of adipose, muscle, and bone tissue, present surgeons with a significant reconstructive challenge while negatively impacting patient quality of life.

Extensive strides in biomedical engineering and surgical technology and techniques, particularly in the the last couple of decades, have revolutionized the field of facial reconstructive surgery. Such advancements have included the use of autologous free tissue transplantation and the optimization of the free tissue transfer method to minimize donor and recipient site morbidity, the use of novel biomedical materials to fill soft tissue and bone defects, the introduction of virtual surgical planning and three-dimensional printing to develop customized implants, and complete facial transplantation, arguably one of the greatest surgical developments in recent decades. These principles and techniques are continually undergoing refinement, with each novel development not only advancing the progress of facial reconstruction techniques, but simultaneously presenting novel challenges. The ultimate goal of the facial reconstruction surgeon is the re-establishment of the anatomy and function of the face as closely as possible to its pre-injury state.

The present Special Issue on “Facial Reconstruction Surgery: Clinical Obstacles and Challenges“ invites experts in the field to submit reviews and original scientific articles reflecting on the history of reconstructive methods, outlining the status at present of the technologies available for facial reconstruction, and providing insights into the future of this ever-changing field.

Dr. Adriana C. Panayi
Dr. Gabriel Hundeshagen
Dr. Valentin Haug
Guest Editors

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