Introduction
New York City is home to some of the world's leading medical institutions when it comes to craniofacial surgery and related treatments. The ability to perform procedures for facial cranial - facial folding degree creation is a specialized skill that requires a combination of expertise, advanced technology, and a multidisciplinary approach. In this article, we will explore several hospitals in New York City that offer top - notch craniofacial services.
Mount Sinai
Comprehensive Care in Craniofacial Surgery
Mount Sinai provides the most expert and comprehensive care in treating complex craniofacial malformations. From diagnosis to recovery, their team approach helps both children and adults with cleft and craniofacial anomalies reach their full potential. Their goal is to minimize the physical and psychological consequences of such anomalies, allowing patients to have a fuller, more satisfying life.
Physicians at Mount Sinai work directly with patients and their families to develop personalized treatment plans based on individual needs. They take patients' concerns seriously and have the expertise to diagnose and treat all aspects of cleft and craniofacial care.
Treatments Offered
- Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery: Corrects congenital defects in the lip and palate, which can have a significant impact on a patient's appearance, speech, and eating ability.
- Craniofacial Surgery (Skull and Facial Bones): Treats abnormalities of the skull and facial bones, including reshaping and reconstructing these areas to improve function and appearance.
- Orthognathic Surgery (Facial Deformities of the Upper and Lower Jaw): Addresses problems with the alignment of the upper and lower jaws, which can cause issues with chewing, speaking, and facial aesthetics.
Conditions Treated
| Condition | Description | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Craniosynostosis (Skull Anomalies) | The premature fusion of skull bones, which can create an abnormal head shape and increased pressure within the skull. Types include coronal synostosis, lambdoid synostosis, metopic synostosis, and sagittal synostosis. | Treatment often involves cranial vault reconstruction, usually performed in the first year of life depending on the severity. It includes removing, reshaping, and replacing the affected bones. |
| Craniofacial Syndromes | May or may not affect other parts of the body. Examples include Apert syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, and Pfeiffer syndrome. | Treatment is done during early or late infancy, depending on symptoms. It includes cranial vault reconstruction to alleviate increased intracranial pressure and multi - stage bone removal, reshaping, and replacement. |
| Ear Deformities | Congenital ear anomalies such as prominence of one or both ears or microtia (partial or complete absence of the ears). | Otoplasty is the most common plastic surgical procedure for correcting prominent ear deformities. Other techniques include sculpting a new cartilage framework from the ribs or removing abnormal cartilage. |
| Eyelid Deformities | Congenital anomalies affecting the eyes and eyelids, like eyelid ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid). | Corrective surgery to strengthen or tighten the muscles is usually required. |
| Midface Deformities | A full range of congenital anomalies affecting the structures of the midface, including the nose, cheeks, and upper jaw. Hemifacial macrosomia is an example. | Interventions may involve reconstructing several parts of the face to restore appearance and functions such as breathing, feeding, and hearing. |
NewYork - Presbyterian
Diagnosis of Craniofacial Disorders
NewYork - Presbyterian offers a comprehensive approach to diagnosing craniofacial disorders. For prenatal cases, if an ultrasound is suggestive of a craniofacial disorder, their team meets with the expecting parents to provide support and plan a course of action after the baby is born.
For infants and children, appointments include a complete assessment of the child's health and function. Since disorders of the face and skull can involve more than just appearance, systemic evaluation, genetic analysis, and familial planning are also available when appropriate.
Treatment of Craniofacial Abnormalities
Renowned pediatric neurosurgeons from Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine at NewYork - Presbyterian collaborate with specialists in plastic and craniofacial, oral surgery, ear/nose/throat surgery, and eye surgery to provide expert, customized care to children with craniofacial conditions.
Surgery for Craniosynostosis
- Traditional Open Surgical Procedures: Cranial vault remodeling and vertex craniectomy are extremely safe and produce excellent results. A neurosurgeon removes the affected or closed suture and then “remodels” the skull. The surgery usually takes between two and six hours and requires three to five days in the hospital, depending on the age of the child and the involved suture. Some children may need blood transfusions, and a compatible parent can donate blood. No helmet therapy is needed after traditional surgery.
- Endoscopically Assisted Strip Craniectomy: A newer, minimally invasive approach typically performed on infants younger than three months of age. It depends on extremely rapid brain growth to help reposition the cranial bones. The endoscopic procedure does not include cranial remodeling during surgery. It usually takes less time in the operating room and requires a shorter hospital stay. After the surgery, the child will wear a cranial remodeling helmet to help reshape the skull.
Other Reconstructive Surgeries
Plastic and craniofacial surgeons perform reconstruction of facial clefts (including cleft lip and cleft palate), cleft lip revision, ear malformations (such as microtia), facial asymmetry, craniosynostosis, and a variety of other facial and cranial abnormalities. Oral surgeons perform maxillofacial reconstruction, primarily of the bone and teeth, including treating children with deformities from trauma, tumors, or congenital abnormalities. Otolaryngologists evaluate and care for children with hearing, swallowing, and respiratory problems related to craniofacial conditions, and oculoplastic surgeons perform reconstruction of eye structures.
Timing of Surgery
The timing of surgery is crucial to minimize the impact of craniofacial abnormalities on cranial and facial growth, development, function, and appearance. For example, for a newborn with a cleft lip and palate, lip repair surgery is usually performed at about two to three months of age, followed by palate repair between the ages of six and 15 months. Other surgeries, such as bone grafts and jaw repositioning, are scheduled at appropriate stages of the child's growth.
New York Group for Plastic Surgery
Expertise in Craniofacial Surgery
The New York Group for Plastic Surgery has been providing experienced, precision surgery for craniofacial conditions in NYC for over 27 years. Their approach involves a multidisciplinary team, including a craniofacial surgeon, neurosurgeon, otolaryngologist (ENT), orthodontist, ophthalmologist, speech pathologist, psychologist, social worker, nurses, and patient coordinators. Each specialist's input helps formulate a patient - specific treatment plan.
Dr. Jacobs, a member of the team, is fellowship - trained at one of the top craniofacial centers in the country (New York University Medical Center). Along with experts from Westchester Medical Center and the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, the craniofacial team offers world - class treatment of facial differences.
Virtual Surgical Planning
They are one of the only centers in the country to offer virtual surgical planning of complex craniofacial reconstructions. It starts with a three - dimensional rendering of the patient's craniofacial skeleton. In the virtual surgical environment, the facial anatomy can be manipulated to create the ideal reconstruction. Customized, patient - specific surgical tools are then generated to translate the virtual plan into reality. This technology allows for precision planning and execution while shortening the operative time, and patients and other treating physicians can view the final reconstruction preoperatively.
NYU Langone Health
Collaborative Approach to Care
The members of NYU Langone’s craniofacial team take a collaborative approach to care. Their plastic surgeons, dentists, and orthodontists have shared doctor’s visits, allowing patients to meet with several members of their care team on the same day. For patients with complex conditions requiring intensive treatment, they work closely with colleagues in psychology, speech therapy, and social work to help patients and families manage all aspects of treatment, addressing physical, social, and emotional aspects of craniofacial treatment.
Craniofacial Surgery
The plastic surgeons at NYU Langone have extensive experience with complex pediatric plastic surgery and apply these skills to treat both adults and children. They focus on treatments that improve or restore function while achieving the best possible cosmetic result. Treatment for adults often involves reconstruction after injury or trauma, or surgery to treat cancer or correct congenital anomalies that occurred in childhood. For children with craniofacial conditions such as cleft lip and cleft palate, the surgery is provided through Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.
Orthodontic Services
The craniofacial dental and orthodontic team at NYU Langone focuses on surgical jaw corrections, dental implants, and orthodontic care for people with craniofacial conditions affecting the face, jaws, and teeth. Their dental laboratory features advanced equipment, including digital radiography, advanced cone - beam CT scanning, three - dimensional printers and simulators, and three - dimensional intraoral scanning and CT scans, which allow for accurate diagnosis and the creation of customized devices for surgery.
Weill Cornell Medicine
Multidisciplinary Care
Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine is a specialty within the field of ear, nose and throat medicine. The multidisciplinary team provides a personalized approach to treating face, head, and neck aesthetic conditions. When a patient chooses Weill Cornell Medicine, they have access to a network of doctors and specialists, including plastic and reconstructive surgeons, neurologists, facial nerve physical therapists, and speech therapists. The hospital partners with NewYork - Presbyterian, one of the top hospital systems in New York City and the U.S.
Comprehensive Care Focusing on Comfort and Compassion
They understand that surgical treatment of face and neck conditions can impact patients' physical and emotional lives. In their state - of - the - art surgical suites, surgeons use the latest regional anesthetics and medications to allow for quick recovery and faster healing. All patient care is based on the latest research and knowledge about facial surgical treatments, including research conducted by their own physicians.
Conditions Treated
The academically based program provides treatments for conditions and deformities related to trauma, cancer, and a wide range of elective cosmetic procedures. These include facial paralysis, facial injuries, cleft lip, cleft palate, deviated septum, aesthetic issues after Mohs surgery or tumor removal, and cosmetic facial surgery such as rhinoplasty and otoplasty.
Adult Craniofacial Surgery: Stephen M. Warren, MD
What is Adult Craniofacial Surgery?
Adult craniofacial surgery is a broad field used to treat adult patients (over 18 years of age) with congenital or acquired conditions that affect the bones or soft tissue of the skull, face, and/or mandible. Conditions treated include the residuum of congenital conditions, orbital malposition, midface hyper/hypoplasia, nasal differences, mandibular hyper/hypoplasia, fractures, radiation - induced hypoplasia/atrophy, post - surgical defects, and more. The surgery involves moving or reshaping the bones, augmenting bones with allografts or implants, and soft tissue closures, rearrangements, augmentation, or flaps.
Benefits of Adult Craniofacial Surgery
- Change in the appearance of the skull, face, and/or mandibular shape
- Correction of double vision (orbital dystopia) and avoidance of amblyopia
- Treatment of exposed corneas (ectropion, proptosis)
- Improved nasal airflow and sense of smell
- Improved sleep (treatment of obstructive sleep apnea)
- Improved midface fullness and symmetry
- Improved maxillomandibular dental relationship
- Improved chin projection and jawline contour
The Surgical Process
The first step is to contact the office and schedule a consultation with Dr. Warren. He will review the patient's medical history, records, and x - rays, listen to concerns, and connect the patient with other members of the team if necessary. For out - of - town or international patients, a virtual consultation can be arranged. Once the treatment plan is underway, the surgical date can be scheduled, and preoperative testing and clearance will be arranged. On the day of surgery, the patient will undergo general anesthesia, and incisions will be made depending on the type of surgery. The surgery can take from 1 to 12 hours. After surgery, the patient will spend about 2 hours in the recovery room and then either go home or stay in the hospital for a few days. The recovery process includes dietary instructions, activity restrictions, and pain management.
Conclusion
In conclusion, New York City is a hub for craniofacial treatment, with several hospitals offering world - class services. Mount Sinai provides comprehensive care for complex craniofacial malformations, NewYork - Presbyterian offers a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating craniofacial disorders in children, the New York Group for Plastic Surgery provides expertise and advanced virtual surgical planning, NYU Langone Health takes a collaborative approach to care, Weill Cornell Medicine offers multidisciplinary and compassionate care, and Dr. Stephen M. Warren specializes in adult craniofacial surgery.
If you or someone you know is in need of craniofacial treatment, it is highly recommended to explore these options further. You can reach out to these hospitals or professionals to schedule a consultation and learn more about the available treatments and how they can help improve the quality of life. Share this article with others who may benefit from this information and continue to research the latest advancements in craniofacial surgery.
