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Texas
Children’s Plastic Surgery Center is among the top 10
centers in the United States and the top four in the
Southwest in the number of craniofacial procedures performed
a year. |
Plastic Surgery Center
Craniofacial abnormalities may
alter children’s primary bonding relationships, possibly causing
later emotional, behavioral and social problems. Recent research
shows that the importance of face-to-face communication in early
childhood calls for the early evaluation and repair of craniofacial
problems.
Craniofacial surgery is the second most common procedure performed
at Texas Children’s Plastic Surgery Center.
Many infants are born with skull deformities. Not fully revealed
until after birth, these types of defects (craniosynostosis/plagiocephaly)
can interfere with brain development. Occasionally, the suture lines
of the skull may close prematurely and require corrective surgery.
In other instances, the baby’s position in the womb can flatten a
skull area. Fortunately, new procedures often can spare a child the
discomfort and risk of surgery, formerly the only method of
treatment.
“Generally, skull malformations can be corrected through physical or
helmet therapy to reshape the head,” said Dr. Robert Dauser, a
neurosurgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital.
To improve outcomes, the center’s specialists use advanced treatment
procedures and leading-edge techniques, appliances and materials,
such as resorbing plates and bone-mimicking adhesives, in areas
where new bone will grow. In instances requiring extensive surgery,
the department’s craniofacial team consults with the hospital’s
neurosurgery team to plan each child’s surgical reconstruction.
Form and function can be restored in children with facial bone,
nerve and muscle disorders, whether congenital or caused by injury.
Children’s facial defects can range from simple to complex, often
involving facial bone structures that may be underdeveloped,
malformed or totally absent.
Children suffering from facial nerve paralysis often require nerve
repair, nerve transfer, muscle transfer and microsurgical nerve
transplantation to allow them a fuller range of facial expressions
and enhanced control.
Surgery of the jaw may be recommended when a child experiences a jaw
injury or clearly shows signs of problems with facial development,
which may be an isolated growth problem. Often requiring multiple
operations and bone grafting, the corrective process usually
involves moving one or both jaws to a more normal position. The
patient may receive orthodontic treatment simultaneously, and the
combined therapy is carefully coordinated with all other aspects of
the patient’s care.
Revolutionizing the field of craniofacial surgery, a groundbreaking
technique called distraction osteogenesis is being used by the Texas
Children’s plastic surgery team to reposition bones in the jaw, face
and skull. The technique avoids the problems of swelling and blood
loss in conventional surgery and does so without wires, bone
harvesting or blood transfusions.
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