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Historical evolution of surgical approaches to the face—part I: head and upper face

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Abstract

Surgical approaches to the head and maxillofacial area have been described and modified by many authors throughout history. It was, however, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries due in large part to improvements in the delivery of anesthesia and antibiotic therapy when most of the techniques were described. Currently, a myriad of surgical techniques are employed to access the maxillofacial complex with advantages and disadvantages for each one. Although each approach is described in many text and articles, few describe the circumstances or the historical context under which they were designed. In a series of three articles, a historical perspective will be provided on the evolution of some of the most commonly employed today. Descriptions will enumerate the advantages and disadvantages of as well as later modifications. The purpose of the present article (1/3) is to review the approaches to the head and upper face.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, School of Dental Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Jose S. Sifuentes-Cervantes, Francisco Carrillo-Morales, Bhargav Venkata Chivukula & Jaime Castro-Núñez

  2. Research Department, Institución Universitaria Colegios de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    Jaime Castro-Núñez

  3. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Larry L. Cunningham

  4. Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Joseph E. Van Sickels

Authors
  1. Jose S. Sifuentes-Cervantes
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  2. Francisco Carrillo-Morales
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  3. Bhargav Venkata Chivukula
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  4. Jaime Castro-Núñez
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  5. Larry L. Cunningham
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  6. Joseph E. Van Sickels
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Correspondence to Jose S. Sifuentes-Cervantes.

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Sifuentes-Cervantes, J.S., Carrillo-Morales, F., Chivukula, B.V. et al. Historical evolution of surgical approaches to the face—part I: head and upper face. Oral Maxillofac Surg 26, 9–20 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-021-00953-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-021-00953-z

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