Who needs craniofacial surgery?

Patients with tumours involving the facial bones, orbit or skull base, facial fractures after trauma, deformity or defects left after previous cancer surgery or radiotherapy, and selected developmental conditions of the face and jaws.

Is craniofacial surgery performed under general anaesthesia?

Yes. All craniofacial procedures are performed under general anaesthesia. Minor fracture repairs may involve a stay of one to three days, while tumour resection with reconstruction typically requires seven to ten days followed by planned follow-up.

How long is recovery after craniofacial surgery?

Swelling and bruising usually settle over two to three weeks. Bone healing takes six weeks, and the final facial contour develops over three to six months. Rehabilitation may be recommended to restore jaw opening, chewing, speech and eye function.

Will there be visible scars?

Incisions are placed inside the mouth, inside the lower eyelid, within the hairline or along natural facial creases wherever possible, so that scars are concealed or fade to fine lines.

Can facial symmetry be restored after a tumour is removed?

In most cases, yes. Immediate reconstruction with bone and soft-tissue flaps, planned on 3D models, restores the contour of the cheek, jaw and orbit. Secondary refinement with fat grafting or implants can further improve symmetry once healing is complete.

Can I eat normally after jaw reconstruction?

Yes, with time. A soft diet is used for the first few weeks; once the bone has healed and dental implants or a prosthesis have been fitted, most patients return to a normal diet and normal chewing.

Craniofacial Surgery Specialist in Ahmedabad

Craniofacial surgery in Ahmedabad that restores the face and skull, in form and in function.

Craniofacial surgery corrects conditions of the skull, face and jaws, whether present from birth, caused by injury or left behind after tumour removal. Dr. Parin Patel combines head and neck oncology training with reconstructive expertise, so every plan protects breathing, vision, speech and chewing while restoring a natural appearance.

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Specialist care
Clear decisions
Function-conscious planning

What is craniofacial surgery?

Craniofacial surgery is the surgical specialty concerned with the bones and soft tissues of the skull, face and jaws. It brings together the skills of head and neck surgery, skull base surgery, maxillofacial surgery and reconstructive surgery to treat conditions that alter the shape or function of the face. The face is where breathing, vision, chewing, speech and expression all meet, so craniofacial operations must restore function as carefully as they restore appearance.

In Dr. Parin Patel's practice, craniofacial surgery most often means removing tumours that involve the facial skeleton and rebuilding the face in the same operation, repairing facial fractures, and correcting deformities that remain after previous treatment. The work is planned in three dimensions on the patient's own CT scans, frequently with printed models and cutting guides.

Conditions treated

Tumours of the facial skeletonCancers of the maxilla and sinuses, the jaw, the orbit and the anterior skull base, and benign tumours such as ameloblastoma and fibrous dysplasia.

Facial traumaFractures of the cheekbone, orbit, nose, upper and lower jaw and frontal bone, repaired with precise realignment and titanium plates to restore bite, vision and facial contour.

Post-tumour and post-radiotherapy deformityDefects and asymmetry left after earlier cancer surgery, contracture after radiotherapy, and osteoradionecrosis of the jaw, corrected with bone and soft-tissue reconstruction.

Orbital reconstructionRebuilding the floor and walls of the eye socket after tumour removal or fracture to correct a sunken or displaced eye and double vision.

Jaw reconstructionRebuilding the mandible or maxilla with fibula or iliac crest bone, planned virtually so that dental implants can restore chewing.

Congenital and developmental conditionsSelected cleft-related and developmental jaw and facial deformities in adults, in collaboration with maxillofacial colleagues.

Signs that craniofacial assessment is needed

A swelling or asymmetry of the cheek, jaw or forehead that is enlarging
Numbness of the cheek, lip or chin
Loose teeth, a change in the bite, or a denture that no longer fits
A displaced, sunken or bulging eye, or double vision
Facial pain or nasal obstruction with a visible deformity
Deformity, difficulty chewing or double vision after a facial injury
Exposed bone in the mouth after radiotherapy
Dissatisfaction with facial shape or function after previous cancer surgery

Assessment and planning

01
Clinical evaluation
Dr. Patel examines facial symmetry, bite, eye position and movement, nasal airway, mouth opening and nerve function, and reviews the history of any tumour, injury or previous treatment.
02
3D imaging
Fine-cut CT with three-dimensional reconstruction maps the facial skeleton. MRI is added for tumours to show soft-tissue extent. Biopsy confirms the diagnosis of any mass.
03
Virtual surgical planning
For jaw and orbital reconstruction, the resection and the shaping of the bone graft are planned on a computer model; cutting guides and patient-specific plates are printed for the operation.
04
Multidisciplinary review
Tumour cases are discussed with radiation and medical oncology; complex cases involve neurosurgery, ophthalmology, prosthodontics and rehabilitation from the planning stage.

Craniofacial procedures

Tumour resection with immediate reconstruction

Cancers involving the maxilla, mandible, orbit or skull base are removed with oncological margins and the defect is rebuilt in the same operation. A maxillectomy defect is closed with a free flap or an obturator; the orbital floor is restored with bone or a titanium mesh to support the eye; a mandible is rebuilt with a fibula flap shaped to the original contour. Where the tumour extends to the skull base, the operation is performed jointly with neurosurgery as a craniofacial resection. See skull base surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Facial fracture repair

Displaced fractures of the cheekbone, orbit, nose and jaws are realigned through concealed incisions inside the mouth, the lower eyelid or the hairline, and fixed with small titanium plates and screws. Early, accurate repair prevents long-term problems with the bite, eye position and facial shape. Our article can craniofacial surgery restore facial symmetry after trauma? answers common questions.

Secondary reconstruction and contouring

Deformities remaining after earlier surgery, trauma or radiotherapy are corrected with bone grafts, free flaps, fat grafting and implant-based dental rehabilitation. Scar revision and soft-tissue recontouring refine the result. Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw is treated by removing the dead bone and replacing it with vascularised bone.

Why Dr. Parin Patel

Head, Neck and Skull Base Surgical Oncologist with more than thirteen years of experience, combining tumour surgery with reconstruction
Skull Base Surgery Fellowship at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, for tumours involving the orbit and cranial base
Virtual surgical planning, patient-specific plates and dental implant rehabilitation
Microvascular free-flap expertise for jaw, maxilla and orbital reconstruction
Multidisciplinary team at HCG Aastha Cancer Centre, Ahmedabad

Recovery after craniofacial surgery

Recovery depends on the procedure. Fracture repair usually needs a stay of one to three days, with a soft diet for four to six weeks while the bones unite. Tumour resection with free-flap reconstruction requires seven to ten days in hospital, with flap monitoring, a temporary feeding tube and early physiotherapy. Swelling and bruising settle over two to three weeks and the final contour emerges over three to six months. Numbness of the cheek or lip may persist for some months. Dental rehabilitation follows once bone has healed and any radiotherapy is complete. Our rehabilitation programme supports jaw opening, speech, swallowing and eye comfort throughout.

Reconstructive surgeryFlap techniques for facial reconstruction.Skull base surgeryTumours involving the cranial base.Paranasal sinus cancerMaxillectomy and orbital preservation.Mouth cancerJaw-involving oral cancers.RehabilitationJaw, speech and swallowing recovery.Book a consultationBring your CT scans and photographs.

Patient questions

Frequently asked questions

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