England cricket legend Ben Stokes recently took to Instagram to reveal he underwent major surgery after he ended up with a broken cheek when he was hit by a ball while coaching at Durham's indoor cricket center, according to multiple reports.The 34-year-old Test captain posted an image on his Instagram story showing his bruised and swollen right eye and cheek accompanied by the message: "May not look like it... but the surgery was a success."Images show showed his eye heavily swollen and bruised. One picture posted on his Instagram stories also showed a graze on his cheek and lip and a bandage stuffed in his nose following the incident.He captioned the image, "You should see the state of the cricket ball," followed by a laughing face emoji. It remains unclear when Stokes will make a recovery and return to the pitch. The all-rounder has not played since the conclusion of the Ashes in Sydney on January 8.He will be part of England Lions' coaching staff for the development side's series against Pakistan Shaheens in the United Arab Emirates next month. England's next Test is against New Zealand on 4 June, the start of a three-match series.What Is A Facial Fracture?Facial fractures are broken bones in the face, which can include the jaw, nose and eye sockets. Since facial bones are thinner than a majority of the other bones in the body, they are the most prone to injury.In Stokes case, he sustained a facial fracture on his cheek that usually causes pain, swelling, bruising and a flattened appearance. Immediate medical attention is necessary if the injured begins to experience numbness, vision changes or difficulty opening their mouth. General symptoms may include:Bruising.Swelling.Pain or tenderness.Facial numbness.Disfigurement.If you have a broken nose, you may have:Difficulty breathing through your nose.Nosebleeds.If you have fractured eye sockets, you may develop:Blurred vision.Double vision.Bulging eyeballs.Sunken eyeballs.Difficulty moving your eyes up, down or back and forth.Fractured jaw symptoms include:Drooling.Difficulty chewing or speaking.Pain when opening your mouth.Loose, broken or missing teeth.Apart from distort appearances and interfering with normal functioning, facial fractures can also lead to infections, internal bleeding and neurological issues.How Long Does It Take To Recover From A Facial Fracture?Treatments for facial fractured depend on the severity of the injury. Non-surgical treatment plans include using ice packs for 15–20 minutes per hour, pain medication and resting with the head elevated. However, if the bone is displaced, surgeons may use incisions inside the mouth or hairline to reset the bone, sometimes using small plates and screws to fix the fracture. Recovery depends on several factors, including the extent of the facial trauma, treatment plans and the body’s own healing capacity. People who go through facial reconstructive surgery usually notice that swelling and bruising fade after about two weeks. But it can take up to a few months for complete recovery.