A major review looked at many studies about patients with broken bones in the face. It compared people who got care right away with those who had to wait for treatment. The main goal was to see if waiting led to more problems.
The review included thirteen studies, with nine used for the final numbers. Most of this research happened in places with fewer medical resources. The main problem checked was the overall rate of complications.
The results showed no clear difference between the two groups. About 7% more complications were seen in the delayed group, but this was not a meaningful change. The numbers were too small to be sure.
Other issues like infection, bones healing wrong, or not healing at all were also checked. No strong pattern was found in these areas either. The studies had some mixed results, which makes the findings less certain.
This means that for face fractures, waiting a bit for care might not raise the risk of problems. Doctors can use this to help plan treatment, especially where quick care is hard to get.