The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) is a professional organization focused on the science and practice of surgery of the facial region and craniofacial skeleton. The organization is involved in education, research, and advocacy on behalf of patients and maxillofacial surgeons.
American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons

History

The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) was founded in 1947. Early members were largely dual-trained in dentistry and medicine. Over the ensuing years, a relationship with the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...

and American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (now the

American Society of Plastic Surgeons The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. Founded in 1931, the society is composed of surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or by the Royal College of ...

) was fostered. After development of formal maxillofacial training programs and later the birth of the field of

craniofacial surgery Craniofacial surgery is a surgical subspecialty that deals with congenital and acquired deformities of the head, skull, face, neck, jaws and associated structures. Although craniofacial treatment often involves manipulation of bone, craniofacial su ...

, the scope of training required for ASMS membership broadened to include surgeons with an MD degree and formal maxillofacial training.Cohen SR, Juhala CA, Manson PN, Crawley WA, Jacobs JS. History of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons: 1947-1997.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery ''Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal and the official publication of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. It covers all aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery Reconstructive surgery is surgery ...

. 1997 Sep;100(3):766-801. The society commemorated its 75th anniversary in 2022 by honoring the long history and current role of

military surgeon ''Military Medicine'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of medicine in military settings. It is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. It was est ...

s in advancing treatment of maxillofacial conditions and by exploring the interplay between the past and future of maxillofacial surgery in a special edition of the journal FACE.

Education and research

Education of trainees and peers has been an organizational objective since the inception of the ASMS. The Kazanjian lectureship was initiated in 1966. This now biennial lectureship currently alternates with the Converse lectureship at the ASMS portion of the annual meeting of the

. The maxillofacial basics workshop was founded in 1979. Fundamentals of maxillofacial surgery and basic techniques for management of maxillofacial trauma and orthognathic conditions are taught to residents and fellows around North America semiannually. In 1998, the ASMS initiated a one-day intensive lecture series preceding the annual meeting of the

. Each year, the ASMS pre-conference symposium provided a multi-disciplinary education on topics in the field of craniomaxillofacial surgery for students, surgeons-in-training, and practicing plastic and maxillofacial surgeons. In the late 2010's, topics featured in the ASMS pre-conference symposium became more broadly incorporated into the regular program of the

annual meeting. In 2003, two educational fellowships were established to foster the advanced learning in the field of craniomaxillofacial surgery.Cohen MN, Evans GR, Wexler A, Thaller SR, Sadove AM. American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, 1997 to 2006: another decade of excellence in education and research.

. 2006 Oct.; 118 (5 Suppl): 32S-42S. The organization also offers grants for research on maxillofacial conditions.

Scholarly work

In 2020, the ASMS launched the journal, FACE, in collaboration with the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons. The publication is dedicated to advancing the art and science of craniomaxillofacial surgery by disseminating evidence-based

peer review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

ed research.

Maxillofacial conditions

American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons initiatives focus on problems with facial form or function, including congenital craniofacial differences,

facial trauma Facial trauma, also called maxillofacial trauma, is any physical trauma to the face. Facial trauma can involve soft tissue injuries such as burns, lacerations and bruises, or fractures of the facial bones such as nasal fractures and fractures ...

, reconstruction after head and neck cancer, and problems with bite. Congenital craniofacial differences are conditions affecting the head and face that present at or shortly after birth such as

craniosynostosis Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of the fibrous sutures in a young infant's skull prematurely fuses by turning into bone (ossification), thereby changing the growth pattern of the skull. Because the skull cannot expand perpe ...

cleft lip and palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The ...

hemifacial microsomia Hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is a congenital disorder that affects the development of the lower half of the face, most commonly the ears, the mouth and the mandible. It usually occurs on one side of the face, but both sides are sometimes affected. ...

(aka craniofacial microsomia, oculoauriculovertebral spectrum, or Goldenhar syndrome), and

Treacher Collins syndrome Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a genetic disorder characterized by deformities of the ears, eyes, cheekbones, and chin. The degree to which a person is affected, however, may vary from mild to severe. Complications may include breathing prob ...

(aka mandibulofacial dysostosis). Traumatic facial injuries include orbital (eye socket) fracture, mandible (jaw) fracture,

nasal fracture A nasal fracture, commonly referred to as a broken nose, is a fracture of one of the bones of the nose. Symptoms may include bleeding, swelling, bruising, and an inability to breathe through the nose. They may be complicated by other facial frac ...

(broken nose),

dog bite A dog bite is a bite upon a person or other animal by a dog, including from a rabid dog. More than one successive bite is often called a dog attack, although dog attacks can include knock-downs and scratches. Though some dog bites do not result ...

, and

gunshot wound A gunshot wound (GSW) is a penetrating injury caused by a projectile (e.g. a bullet) from a gun (typically firearm or air gun). Damages may include bleeding, bone fractures, organ damage, wound infection, loss of the ability to move part of th ...

. Treatment of

head and neck cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

and

skin cancer Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. There are three main types of skin cancers: basal-cell skin cancer (BCC) ...

of the face often results in missing tissue requiring jaw reconstruction, skin reconstruction, and nose reconstruction. Problems with

occlusion Occlusion may refer to: Health and fitness * Occlusion (dentistry), the manner in which the upper and lower teeth come together when the mouth is closed * Occlusion miliaria, a skin condition * Occlusive dressing, an air- and water-tight trauma ...

(bite) may be treated with

orthognathic surgery Orthognathic surgery (), also known as corrective jaw surgery or simply jaw surgery, is surgery designed to correct conditions of the jaw and lower face related to structure, growth, airway issues including sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, malocclusion ...

. American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons members have contributed to early achievement in

face transplant A face transplant is a medical procedure to replace all or part of a person's face using tissue from a donor. Part of a field called "Vascularized Composite Tissue Allotransplantation" (VCA) it involves the transplantation of facial skin, the ...

, which is emerging as treatment for the most severe maxillofacial deformities.

References

External links

*
FACE Journal
{{Authority control Plastic surgery