Craniofacial is a medical term that refers to the face, facial skeleton, and skull. A craniofacial surgeon is a plastic surgeon who has completed at least 5-8 years of standard plastic surgery training and then has continued with additional training dealing specifically with cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, facial skeleton, and skull. Craniofacial surgeons perform surgery on the face and skull for both reconstructive and cosmetic reasons.

The facial skeleton must be addressed to correct a weak chin, crooked nose, or inadequate jawline or cheek bone structure. Craniofacial surgeons also treat reconstructive abnormalities of the face and skull present at birth or acquired by injury, trauma or disease. These defects affect the appearance of the head or the face and can also affect functionality, as in the case of a cleft lip or palate.

Dr. Joshua Lampert, a board certified plastic surgeon practicing in Miami, has treated patients of all ages with facial defects. Many of his pediatric patients have ear defects, nasal deformities, or unsightly birthmarks. He has also treated numerous adult patients who have suffered various forms of trauma to the facial skeleton. Dr. Lampert prefers to use well hidden incisions and short scar techniques whenever possible for his surgical approach to the facial skeleton.

Common Types of Craniofacial Conditions Requiring Surgery

Facial Fractures - Trauma resulting in fractures of the facial skeleton, nasal bones, eye socket, upper or lower jaws, forehead or skull

Soft Tissue Defects of the Face After Trauma - From dog bites, car accidents or other

Cleft Lip & Palate - Separation that occurs in the palate or the lip caused by incomplete fusion of facial bones during development

Ear Deformity in Newborns - from shape abnormalities to microtia or congenital absence of the majority of the ear itself

Craniosynostosis - Premature closure of the sutures (soft spots) in the skull preventing normal skull expansion

Micrognathia - Undersized jaw, which may interfere with feeding and breathing

Vascular Malformation - Birthmarks or growths composed of blood vessels which can cause functional or aesthetic problems

Neurofibromatosis - nerve tissue tumors that can be found solitary or as part of a genetic condition known as Von Recklinghausen disease

Hemifacial Microsomia - Underdevelopment of the tissues on one side of the face affecting the ear, mouth and jaw

Hemangioma - Abnormal growth of blood vessels in the skin present at birth known as a port wine stain or salmon patch

Plagiocephaly - Flattened area of the skull caused by constant pressure to the area

Parry-Romberg Syndrome - wasting of soft tissue on one side of the face resulting in severe progressive asymmetry

Bell’s Palsy or Hemifacial paresis - loss of nerve innervation and paralysis to one side of the face resulting in a palsy and facial asymmetry

Correcting Facial Abnormalities

Each patient with a craniofacial anomaly presents with a different set of challenges. In many cases, coordination with a number of medical specialties is required to ensure that the patient has the best possible outcome. In the case of infants with a cleft lip or cleft palate, the surgeon will coordinate with speech therapists, occupational therapists and the parents over the course of treatment. For patients with multiple traumas or very severe fractures of the facial skeleton, ophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, and trauma surgeons may also need to be involved with the patient’s care as part of the team.

Contact the office today for a consultation. Dr. Lampert limits his practice volume so that he has ample time to spend with each patient. Improving function, appearance and quality of life is Dr. Lampert’s goal. He strives to deliver some of the best rhinoplasty Miami has available