You usually have a few days between a facial injury and the operation to repair it, and those days are enough for a proper conversation. Use them. The questions below are grouped by what they are really trying to find out, with a note on what a careful answer sounds like. If your situation is urgent, with any loss of vision, breathing difficulty, uncontrolled bleeding, clear fluid from the nose or reduced alertness, skip all of this and go to an emergency department now.
Questions about the diagnosis
Which bones are broken, and can you show me on the scan? Being shown the fracture on your own computed tomography images, rather than being read a report, tells you the surgeon has looked properly and planned an approach.
Which of these fractures actually need fixing? Not all of them will. A good answer separates the fractures that have displaced enough to matter from those that will heal quietly, and explains the reasoning for each.
What happens if I do nothing? This is the most useful question in the whole list. The honest answer might be a changed bite for life, a flat cheek, a sunken eye, double vision or a blocked nose, or it might be that very little would change. Either way you learn what the surgery is actually for.
Questions about the operation
Where will the incisions be? Ask about each one and whether it will be visible. Most are hidden inside the mouth, in an eyelid crease, in the eyebrow or behind the hairline.
What will be used to hold the bone? Usually small titanium plates and screws, and sometimes an implant to rebuild the floor of the eye socket. Ask whether the implants likely to be needed are available at that hospital.
Will my teeth be wired or held with elastics, and for how long? This affects eating, speech and work more than anything else, so get a clear answer before the day.
How long will the operation take and what anaesthesia is used? Facial fracture repair is generally done under general anaesthesia, and the airway may be managed differently if the jaws are to be fixed together.
Questions about timing
When should this be done, and why then? Facial bones begin to unite within a couple of weeks, so surgery is usually planned once swelling has settled but before the fragments become fixed. A clear answer names the window and explains what sets it in your case.
What if the swelling has not settled by then? Ask what the plan is if the date has to move, and how far it can move before the repair becomes more difficult. This tells you whether the surgeon is watching the timing or simply booking a convenient slot.
What if I decide against surgery now and change my mind later? The honest answer is usually that a delayed correction is a bigger operation with a less predictable result. Hearing that plainly helps you make the decision once rather than twice.
What do I need to do before the day? Ask about fasting, which of your regular medicines to stop or continue, whether any blood tests or dental review are needed, and who should accompany you home afterwards.
Questions about risks
What are the specific risks in my case? General consent forms list everything. You want the risks that apply to your fracture, such as the effect on the eye and vision when the socket is involved, changes in sensation, injury to a tooth root, infection, plate problems, or a bite that needs later adjustment.
Will I have numbness afterwards, and will it recover? If a nerve is already affected, ask what recovery usually looks like and over what period. Nobody can promise complete return of sensation.
What could go wrong with my eye? For orbital surgery this deserves its own question. Ask about double vision, the position of the eyeball and, rarely, effects on vision, and ask who would assess your eye if there were a problem.
Questions about the result
What is the realistic aim? A careful surgeon talks about restoring the bite, the eye position, breathing and facial contour, and says plainly that the face will not be identical to before. Be cautious of anyone promising an exact restoration.
Might I need a further procedure later? Sometimes a second stage is expected from the start, and knowing that in advance prevents it feeling like a failure later.
How will we judge whether it worked? A useful answer names measurable things: the bite meeting correctly, mouth opening, eye movement and position, sensation and the appearance of the contour.
Questions about recovery and cost
What will the diet be, and for how long? Ask exactly what you can eat in each phase, since this is the restriction people find hardest.
When can I go back to my work and my sport? Describe your actual job and activities. A teacher, a driver, a welder and a cricketer will each get different answers.
Can I have a written estimate? Ask what it covers, including theatre, stay, implants, medicines and reviews, and what could change it. At Elegance Clinic in Surat, written estimates are given before admission.
Who do I contact if something changes at night? You should leave with a number and a clear list of the changes that mean you must be seen immediately rather than waiting for the review.
What does a good answer sound like?
A good answer is specific to your scan, uses plain language, names the uncertainties honestly and does not rush you towards a decision. Dr. Ashutosh Shah is a Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgeon in Surat with more than 22 years of surgical experience, an M.Ch. from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and DNB from the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi, who practises both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Whoever you see, take the list with you, write the answers down, and bring someone else to listen, because it is difficult to absorb all of this while your face hurts.
