Flying with facial fractures—the truth is out there

There are no clear, evidence-based guidelines that dictate when it is safe for a patient to fly after a midface fracture, whether they are surgically managed or not. The Royal Darwin Hospital Maxillofacial Unit had 48 out of 201 patients with a midface fracture flown to the unit for definitive management. Despite flying 24% of our patients with midface fractures to our centre for management, there were no complications arising from the flight, nor was there any change to flight paths or patterns as a result of the patient’s fractures. We have shown that, on a variety of aircraft, there are no absolute contraindications to flying with midface fractures, but clinical assessment remains crucial for an informed decision to transport these patients by air.

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Jan 20, 2018 | Posted by in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Comments Off on Flying with facial fractures—the truth is out there

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