Yes, you are in the right place! MercyAscot Head & Neck Service is now Allevia Head & Neck.
New name. Same heart. Read more.

Icon maxillofacial

Facial Trauma & Reconstructive Surgery

1 specialists

What are facial fractures?

Facial fractures usually result from sports injuries, interpersonal violence, and motor vehicle accidents. Treatment requires advanced knowledge of facial bone anatomy, aesthetics, and dental occlusion (how teeth meet together). Our facial fracture service involves managing patients who present with subacute fractures (fractures that can be treated beyond the 72-hour window). 

Led by Dr Muammar Abu-Serriah, the team at Allevia Head & Neck provides world-class facial fracture reconstruction for patients suffering from facial trauma.

What are some symptoms of facial fractures?

Facial fracture symptoms depend on the injury location, as well as the direction and force of the impact. Blunt, low-energy impacts are unlikely to cause fractures but perhaps soft tissue swelling and bruises which heal normally.

Symptoms may include:

  • Painful or abnormal bite
  • Numbness of the cheek, nose, or top lip
  • Nose bleed or deviated nose
  • Crunchy noises when moving the jaw​

If you are worried about any of these symptoms, talk to your GP or family doctor and ask for a referral to the Allevia Head and Neck Service.

What treatment do we offer?

A patient will first undergo a comprehensive physical exam and, in most cases, a CT scan will be organised. At Allevia Head & Neck, patients can expect to be seen within 7-10 days once the swelling subsides. 

Appropriate management of facial fractures can be challenging, which is why the team at Allevia Head & Neck provides specialist care to treat patients promptly.

What we do not treat?

We do not offer acute services. Any of the following should, therefore, be referred to the nearest and most appropriate hospital emergency department:

  • Active bleeding
  • Patients with acute airway injury/compromise
  • Associate intracranial (brain) injury
  • Reduced or deteriorating conscious level
  • Mandible fracture (fracture of the jaw) that needs immediate admission
  • Retrobulbar haemorrhage (bleeding behind the eyeball)
  • Facial skin mucosal lacerations (oral mucosal is the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth) that needs repair within 24 hours.
specialists

New Zealand's leading specialists committed to your care.

View all

Muammar Abu-Serriah

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
Areas of expertise:
Melanoma, Consultant Surgeon in Head and Neck Cancer, Orthognathic Surgery, Salivary Gland Surgery, Facial Trauma, TMJ Surgery, Dentoalveolar & Dental Implants, Cystic Lesions of the Jaw, Facial Plastic Surgery
View specialist