Of the roughly 5 million reconstructive procedures done in 2009, more than 90,000 were maxillofacial surgeries [source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons]. Maxillofacial injuries are those to the head and neck region of the body.
Craniofacial injuries due to trauma or diseases such as cancer, as well as deformities such as vascular and congenital anomalies, can affect the head, face, jaw and neck. Additionally, patients with severe facial injuries are more than 60 percent likely to have concurrent trauma to the head, chest or abdomen. Such injuries may adversely affect brain, eye and spinal cord function, as well as breathing and swallowing [source: Online Surgery].
These types of injuries are often treated with soft tissue and skeletal surgeries, including presurgery 3-D modeling, bone grafting and surgery to repair damaged skin, gums, nerves and salivary glands.