Craniofacial surgery
Craniofacial surgery is a treatment option for disorders affecting the skull and face as a result of genetics, trauma, disease or developmental issues in the womb.
Pediatric cleft and craniofacial surgery in Dallas, Texas
The Cleft & Craniofacial Center at Medical City Children's Hospital brings together subspecialty-trained plastic surgeons and other specialized providers to treat children with facial differences, many of whom were previously thought to be untreatable or even those who sustained complications from other operations or injuries.
We guide patients and their families through a customized treatment plan to help our cleft and craniofacial patients thrive.
Craniofacial disorders we treat
Our team is committed to treating a wide range of craniofacial anomalies and associated conditions, including:
- Cleft lip and cleft palate
- Single suture craniosynostosis:
- Plagiocephaly–coronal synostosis
- Scaphocephaly–sagittal synostosis
- Trigonocephaly–metopic synostosis
- Posterior plagiocephaly–lambdoid synostosis
- Syndromic craniosynostosis (Apert, Crouzon, Pfeiffer, Muenke, & Saethre-Chotzen, among others)
- Complex craniosynostosis (multi-suture craniosynostosis)
- Secondary (re-do) craniosynostosis corrections
- Treacher Collins syndrome
- Goldenhar syndrome
- Hemifacial/craniofacial microsomia
- Craniofacial tumors (e.g., fibrous dysplasia)
- Hypertelorism and facial clefts
- Microtia (ear deformities or complete absence of the ear)
- Pierre Robin sequence
- Developmental jaw deformities (misalignment of the upper and lower jaws)
- Vascular anomalies and malformations
- Post-traumatic craniofacial defects
The Cleft & Craniofacial Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital
Craniofacial disorders may be congenital (present at birth) or acquired and can affect a child's skull, face and jaws. The Cleft & Craniofacial Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital represents one of the leading treatment programs in the U.S. and provides comprehensive care for all craniofacial conditions.
Founded in 1974, our Cleft & Craniofacial Center is among the longest-standing and busiest in the nation. Our team includes subspecialty-trained plastic surgeons as well as both surgical and medical specialists dedicated to the care of craniofacial patients. Our specialists have treated infants and children from more than 75 countries and performed more than 15,000 pediatric surgical procedures.
Our Center uses advanced technology, is actively involved in craniofacial research, and remains committed to developing innovative surgical techniques to address the wide spectrum of cleft and craniofacial conditions.
Cleft & craniofacial surgery specialists
Cleft and craniofacial disorders have various causes, and it is likely many factors played a role in the occurrence of a child's particular condition. Typically, congenital craniofacial disorders are caused by environmental factors (such as exposure to certain drugs or chemicals while pregnant), genetics or a lack of essential nutrients (e.g., folic acid deficiency) during pregnancy. Anomalies acquired after birth are usually the result of accidents that result in extensive craniofacial trauma (e.g., jaw deformities) or even cancer.
The multidisciplinary care team at our Cleft & Craniofacial Center is dedicated to transforming the lives of infants, children and young adults afflicted with congenital or acquired facial differences.
Our comprehensive team of specialists includes:
- Craniofacial plastic surgeons
- Neurosurgeons
- Ear, Nose & Throat surgeons
- Pediatric medical doctors and general surgeons
- Craniofacial orthodontists and pediatric dentists
- Nurse practitioners
- Speech pathologists
- Geneticists
- Therapists
- Medical anthropologists
- Child-life specialists
Getting care for craniofacial disorders
To learn more about the Cleft & Craniofacial Center at Medical City Children's Hospital or to inquire about whether your child is a candidate for surgery, please call (972) 566-3429.
Most insurance plans, including Medicaid, are accepted.
Families of patients with cleft and craniofacial disorders can review additional educational resources through the Children's Craniofacial Association and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.
Craniofacial patient from India recovers lifesaving surgery
Nine-year-old Nainsi was brought to Medical City Children's Hospital from India to receive a complex, lifesaving craniofacial surgery to repair an encephalocele, a rare birth defect of the skull. The comprehensive Craniofacial and Neurosurgery teams at Medical City Children's Hospital provided her with the highest level of care.