Background: Despite increased adoption of virtual surgical planning (VSP) in various craniofacial indications, the incorporation of VSP/3DP into facial trauma care remains limited. Therefore, Expedited Preoperative Point of Care for Fracture Reduction to Normalized Anatomy and 3DP to Improve Surgical Outcomes (EPPOCRATIS) was introduced in 2021. This study evaluates our experience with EPPORATIS in craniomaxillofacial trauma over 10 years. Methods: A retrospective review of patients who underwent facial trauma repair between September 2014 and September 2024 was conducted. For each VSP/3DP case, a patient with similar facial trauma patterns, who was treated without VSP, was selected. Evaluation metrics included operative time, blood loss, length of stay, complication rates, and fracture reduction accuracy through 3D heatmap analyses. Operative metrics were normalized by implant (i.e., fracture plates and screws) count to account for fracture complexity. A value of p < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results: The VSP group presented with more complex injuries and higher involvement of various surgical specialties (p < 0.5) and demonstrated longer operative times (p < 0.03). Although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.4), when adjusted for implant count, the VSP group had shorter operative times (median: 15.4 vs. 19.3 min/implant) and reduced blood loss compared to non-VSP cases (median: 3.4 mL/implant vs. 4.2 mL/implant). Complications, revision rates, and length of stay showed no significant differences. Conclusions: The use of VSP/3DP (EPPOCRATIS) in craniomaxillofacial trauma reconstruction demonstrated operative efficiency and accurate fracture reduction in complex cases. Further studies are needed to examine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of point-of-care VSP/3DP in trauma centers.

Objective: Our goal is to address the health literacy gap concerning cleft lip and palate using artificial intelligence (AI), specifically OpenAI's ChatGPT-4, to enhance the readability of patient educational materials (PEMs). Additionally, we aim to explore the integration of interactive educational materials into these resources. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Websites of craniofacial teams approved by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA). Patients/Participants: PEMs collected from these websites. Interventions: First, we examined the PEMs for interactive educational content such as videos, photos, case examples, and audio clips. Subsequently, we used the WebFX online readability calculator and Grammarly to evaluate the texts’ readability and clarity. After that, we used ChatGPT-4 to simplify the PEM texts to a 6th-grade reading level and re-evaluated their readability and clarity. Main Outcome Measure(s): Readability levels (grade level) and clarity scores of PEMs before and after AI modification, and the presence of interactive educational content. Results: Initial evaluations using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula showed that the texts were written at a median 9th-grade reading level. Modifications using ChatGPT-4 significantly improved readability, achieving a median 6th-grade level and enhanced clarity. Only 27% of the websites featured interactive educational content, indicating a gap in utilizing educational enhancements. Conclusion: The use of AI improved the readability and clarity of patient educational materials, aligning with recommended standards. However, the underutilization of interactive tools suggests a need for broader integration of these resources to optimize patient education and engagement.

Facial nerve injuries pose challenges in cosmetic surgery. We comprehensively reviewed the anatomy of the facial nerve, with a focus on its five major branches—temporal, zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular, and cervical— and explored the clinical implications of nerve injuries during cosmetic procedures. Surgical damage to any branch of the facial nerve can lead to functional impairments, including facial asymmetry, impaired eye closure, speech difficulties, and reduced oral competence. Furthermore, aesthetic consequences, including facial drooping and altered appearance, can profoundly affect patients' psychological well-being. This review provides a detailed discussion of strategies for preventing nerve injury, including surgical techniques and landmark identification that underscores the importance of meticulous preoperative planning and intraoperative execution. This review highlights the importance of comprehensive anatomical knowledge in optimizing patient safety and satisfaction in facial cosmetic surgery.