Role of ENT Surgeon in Managing Battle Trauma During Deployment

Abstract

With technological improvements in body armour and increasing use of improvised explosive devices, it is the injuries to head, face and neck are the cause for maximum fatalities as military personnel are surviving wounds that would have otherwise been fatal. The priorities of battlefield surgical treatment are to save life, eyesight and limbs and then to give the best functional and aesthetic outcome for other wounds. Modern day battlefields pose unique demands on the deployed surgical teams and management of head and neck wounds demands multispecialty approach. Optimal result will depend on teamwork of head and neck trauma management team, which should also include otolaryngologist. Data collected by various deployed HFN surgical teams is studied and quoted in the article to give factual figures. Otorhinolaryngology becomes a crucial sub-speciality in the care of the injured and military otorhinolaryngologists need to be trained and deployed accordingly. The otolaryngologist's clinical knowledge base and surgical domain allows the ENT surgeon to uniquely contribute in response to mass casualty incident. Military planners need to recognize the felt need and respond by deploying teams of specialist head and neck surgeons which should also include otorhinolaryngologists.

The current regenerative medicine approaches of craniofacial diseases: A narrative review

“…Surgically constructed subcutaneous pouches can be used to preserve large fragments of avulsed bone for later recovery and reconstruction. A nylon suture should be placed around damaged nerves and salivary ducts (Rajguru, 2013). 3D printing can simplify reproducing a patientspecific prosthesis's color, texture, stiffness, and form.…”

“…Furthermore, the army has learned to treat acute hearing loss as early as possible on the battlefield to avoid further complications. Anti-oxidants and steroids have proven to reduce the risk of additional damage after an explosion by combating free radicals created during noise-induced hearing loss (Rajguru, 2013). Thrombosis of the vascular system prevents medication concentrations from being adequate at the site of infection, which results in ineffective medical therapy.…”

“…The war conditions necessitate aid, even when most perforations heal independently. One study found that five of 14 membranes left untreated did not heal after the bombing of the US embassy in Kenya, whereas all those treated did (Rajguru, 2013). Research has shown that porous polyethylene repair will provide better aesthetic results, shorter surgical times, fewer treatments required, and a faster postoperative recovery than autologous reconstruction (Ali et al, 2017).…”