Accidents happen.  Sometimes, these accidents leave us with wounds, cuts, or lacerations in cosmetically sensitive areas, such as the face and neck.  Traumatic wounds are always best evaluated early, as treating them early can give a better cosmetic and functional result.  The good news is that the rich blood supply of the face and neck makes wounds in these areas heal quickly, less prone to infection, and with a thinner scar than other parts of the body.  Laceration repair should take place as soon as possible for the best result.

The optimal treatment for most soft tissue injuries of the face and neck is laceration repair, and involves thorough cleansing of the wound and immediate, multilayered closure to restore the native anatomy of the area.  Having the wound evaluated early aids in fast treatment.  Delaying treatment can result in higher rates of infections, more visible scarring, and contour irregularities that can be difficult to treat afterwards.  Injured tissue tends to swell, and treating wounds before this happens gives the best results.

Many people seek care in emergency departments or urgent care centers for their traumatic wounds.  These facilities have the advantages of being able to take x-rays or have CT scans done to evaluate for injury to bones.  However, they rarely have plastic surgeons available to perform a meticulous closure of the traumatic wound.  Instead, the practitioners, whether they are physicians, physician assistants, trainees, or medical students, are the ones performing laceration repair.  Experience matters, and having a facial plastic surgeon available to treat your injury can give you better results.  

Traumatic laceration repair is offered at Nuance Facial Plastics, and is a choice for patients that have either suffered a cut or laceration.  This can be done as an initial evaluation, or as a definitive treatment of a wound after being evaluated in an emergency department or urgent care facility.  Having the most skilled surgeon operating on your wound will give you the best results.

As traumatic lacerations can happen at odd hours, we are available for consultations and treatments around the clock.  To reach the on call physician, please call Nuance Facial Plastics at (704) 593-6802 and listen for the instructions about reaching the on call physician.