Before and after their initial surgeries, children with cleft lip and palate need careful monitoring to identify difficulties they need help with. Ideally, this is a long and important relationship. Deciding on the surgeon to manage your child's cleft is an important decision but shouldn't bring more stress than the surgeries. Your surgeon will be your child's and your family's advocate as you all grow together.
What is a Pediatric Facial Plastic & ENT Surgeon?
Our Pediatric Facial Plastic Surgeons are Pediatric Otolaryngologists (commonly called ENT or Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon) that dedicated extra time and training in the evaluation, comprehensive management and surgery for children with cleft lip and palate. As Pediatric Otolaryngologists we bring expertise in the management of the complex structures of the face, head and neck to the care of children with cleft lip and palate. We exclusively treat children and all are passionate about cleft care.
Our Surgeons Are Experts in the Face, Head, Throat and Neck
Your surgeon should be well trained to treat all of the problems your child and your family are facing. Most of these problems are outlined on this site and our surgeon's expertise in all aspects of cleft care can be found in each section.
Other problems that children with cleft lip and palate experience include ear problems and the need for ear surgeries, hearing difficulties, swallowing problems, nasal congestion and obstruction, snoring and sleep apnea, as well voice problems. Our surgeons are experts in all of these areas in addition to providing comprehensive cleft care. We will help give your child the best possible care helping to ensure that no problem or concern is overlooked.
There are two main types of problems that arise in children with cleft lip and palate 1) a difference in the way a child looks and 2) a difference in the way parts of the face, nose or throat works. Our surgeons are experts in diagnosing and correcting both of these types of problems. We often help children differences in their appearance from lump and bump removal, to surgeries to improve the appearance of scars from various types of trauma to surgeries fixing broken facial bones. Many families trust their child's face to our surgeons.
Differences in the way the face, head and throat functions are numerous. It isn't possible to list all the problems here but some common problems include a narrow nasal passage causing inability to breathe through the nose, problems with how the upper and lower jaw line up, problems with the way the palate moves during speech resulting in hypernasal speech. As Pediatric Facial Plastic & ENT Surgeons, we diagnose and surgically manage these types of problems in children on a daily basis. We understand the importance of how these structures work together and are experts in fixing these complicated problems. We focus our practice to the face, head, throat and neck and can bring this expertise to the care of your child.
When we aren't treating children with cleft lip and palate, we are treating children with other disorders of these same structures and similarly improving their life experiences. Whether it is improving the nasal airway, voice and speech, swallowing, removing tumors from the face and nose, our surgeons have a deep understanding of the areas most important to your child.
Leaders of multidisciplinary teams
As Pediatric Facial Plastic & ENT Surgeons, we specialize in numerous surgeries of the face, head and neck and have chosen to exclusively treat children. We are passionate about helping children complex problems and at the same time helping their families understand an cope with their disorder. We are often involved in (and often lead) the care of children with complicated problems requiring multidisciplinary care. Working together as a multidisciplinary team is a foundation of recommendations by the American Cleft Palate Association. While a surgeon can be an expert in the OR, they need the help of an experienced team to ensure children with complex problems receive optimal care. Other complex children we care for include children with breathing and swallowing problems, voice problems, sinonasal disease, hearing loss, as well as other problems. For many of these problems, we lead these multidisciplinary teams. Many of these problems are also common among children with cleft lip and palate.
Academic Surgeons
Our surgeons are faculty at the University of Arizona and are devoted to advancing the care provided to children with cleft lip and palate in Arizona, across the US, and across the globe. Dr. Skirko is an editor for the Cleft Palate & Craniofacial Journal and has several grants funding his research related to children with craniofacial anomalies.
What Sets Us Apart?
Our surgeons practices focus exclusively on children with conditions of the face, head, neck or throat. We are experts in evaluating, managing and performing the full range of surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate. Helping children with orofacial clefts is our passion. When we aren't caring for children with cleft lip and palate, we are helping children with other problems of the face, head, neck and throat.
Timelines
Table of Typical (Green) and Possible (Blue) Surgeries/Treatments in Management of Children with Cleft Lip and Palate.
*See individual sections for timing details.
†Some children benefit from a lip scar revision before entering grade school. The timing depends on how much the scarring affects your child or if he/she is undergoing other procedures. Some children benefit from an early midface surgery and cleft septorhinoplasty (nose job).