Congenital anomalies and birth defects involving the face, skull and body are seen by nearly every pediatrician, family physician and obstetrician. The impact of these disorders can be emotionally devastating for parents and an enormous challenge for the primary care physician as they combine efforts to alter the appearance of the deformity and reduce the functional impact that it may have on the affected child.
In a society that places high value on normalcy, any variation or difference can set the altered child apart. Therefore it is important both for the parent and child, along with the primary care physician, to have a “team” that can bring a coordinated and appropriately timed effort to focus on the anomaly to be treated.
Our team approach sets us apart and sets the stage for successful treatment. Discover what we can achieve for you and your child with pediatric reconstructive plastic surgery. Simply request a consultation online or call us at (469) 375-3838 to schedule an appointment.
Our Practice
In the late 1960’s, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas joined forces to establish a program for children with craniofacial abnormalities. Several decades and thousands of surgeries later, those efforts have resulted in one of the largest pediatric craniofacial treatment programs in the nation.
Among the various types of anomalies that may be seen, cleft lip, cleft palate, facial paralysis, hemangiomas, vascular malformations, ear deformities, and craniosynostosis and related skull deformities will be the subject of this website.
The coordination of the primary care physician and the plastic surgeon, as the director of the Craniofacial Team, will most often provide the basis for the correction of these often-devastating deformities. Any physician who has dealt with a family facing a deformity well understands both their anguish and their subsequent happiness when successful treatment allows the child to grow to adulthood with minimal functional and appearance problems.
Over the last 25 years, the quality of treatment for children with facial clefting deformities has benefited from improved surgical techniques, understanding of the anatomical defects and the impact of growth, and the formation of interdisciplinary teams that provide the wide range of services necessary to meet the complex needs of these children and families. From the moment of birth, the team (led by the primary care physician) will set the stage for the successful outcome of a long process through childhood to adulthood. The Craniofacial Team at Medical City Children’s Hospital includes the following specialties:
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The team members most involved with the necessary treatment planning, surgery and evaluation meet with the family on a regular basis to coordinate the treatment needs and address the timing of these treatments for the benefit of the child and family. Other team members may be seen as consultants on an as-needed basis and these are scheduled at the families’ convenience.
The non-physician team members you may encounter most frequently are:
Each and every member of our team is committed to providing the very best in care, compassion, safety and results for your child and the ultimate support to you.