Venous Thromboembolism Subsequent to the Management of Panfacial Fracture– A Clinical Paper and Review

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major factor responsible for death in patients suffering from prolonged immobilisation due to various causes like old age, pregnancy, stroke, and prolonged surgical procedures to mention a few. Long-duration surgeries as in fixation and reconstruction in panfacial fractures and facial orthognathic surgeries can be potential cases predisposed for VTE in maxillofacial surgery.

A fifty-eight-year-old patient suffered from pulmonary thromboembolism following long-duration surgery for panfacial fracture fixation and reconstruction under general anaesthesia. He was promptly managed via medical management and recovered well.

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a severe complication that can lead to severe morbidity or even death. Owing to the characteristics of venous thrombosis, all collaborating healthcare team members should be trained to assess risk factors for efficient diagnosis which can facilitate specialised intervention that can result in better patient outcomes.

Maxillofacial surgeons need to evaluate the risk of thromboembolism in patients and institute efficient diagnosis whenever required to deliver optimised and better patient care. Although thromboembolism is a preventable disease state, the key is to keep a close eye on the patient’s clinical features to identify and treat them at the right time for better patient care and survival.