Intraoperative Use of C-Arm Fluoroscope for Location of Foreign Body in Maxillofacial Surgery: Series of Cases

Abstract

The practice of maxillofacial surgery commonly entails working in anatomically confined boundaries with restricted access that can easily lead to instrument and foreign body slippage into deeper tissue planes and, rarely, be aspirated. The use of postoperative adjunctive radiographic techniques has long been used to locate any such misplaced foreign bodies to attempt removal or track their passage through the alimentary tract. The use of intraoperative computed tomography scanning has recently gained momentum; but the set up may not be easily available in all the operation theaters. As such, a definitive cost-effective technique to locate such objects remains elusive. The authors intend to share their experience with the use of the C-Arm fluoroscope for the purpose of real-time intraoperative location and attempted removal of foreign bodies in three patients. The C-Arm fluoroscope can thus be used as a cost-effective technique for real-time intraoperative imaging, compared with more expensive techniques.