Craniofacial Surgery

What is Craniofacial Surgery?

Craniofacial Surgery is the surgical superspecialty that deals with the correction of deformities of the skull and its associated structures like the head and facial regions. Many of these deformities are associated with the tcof1 gene and are inherited via an autosomal dominant pattern. This surgery involves not only bone but also the soft tissues in the region including nerves, muscles and other structures in the region.

What are the various types of Craniofacial Surgery?

Any surgical procedure that involves reshaping the bones of the skull, midface and jaws can be classified under craniofacial surgery. Many syndromes like Apert syndrome, Crouzon syndrome and Treacher Collins syndrome have serious craniofacial deformities.

Patients with Treacher Collins syndrome also have a cleft palate. These have a very complicated presentation along with the severe deformities of the craniofacial complex.

Dr. Paul Tessier is considered to be the father of craniofacial surgery and developed the modern classification of this specialty. Surgeries including craniostenosis surgery, distraction osteogenesis, hemifacial microsomia surgery, microtia surgery and various other corrective surgeries fall under this classification.

Patients will microtia deformity often manifest a missing external auditory canal with hearing impairment due to middle ear involvement. Bone does transmit sound waves in a small percentage of patients. Hearing aids based on medical advice can be useful for these patients.

Maxillofacial surgeons and plastic also perform some procedures performed by craniofacial surgeons. Dental implants are also placed in patients undergoing jaw reconstruction through distraction osteogenesis. Many of these procedures also fall under the category of cosmetic surgery.

Cost of Craniofacial Surgery In India

The cost of craniofacial surgery in India varies according to the complexity of the procedure. Craniofacial surgery employs cutting edge technological advances like sonic welds. This results in lesser number of surgical procedures and faster healing along with better results for the patient.

The cost of craniofacial surgery in India is very economical compared to undergoing the same surgery in the developed nations of the West.

Center for Excellence in Craniofacial Surgery in India

Dr. SM Balaji is considered to be the best craniofacial surgeon in India by his peers. He has a vast experience of over three decades in rehabilitating children with various syndromic deformities of the craniofacial complex.

Our hospital is a tertiary referral center for complicated cases of craniofacial deformities due to our excellent track record and outstanding results. We are the only Asian affiliate of the Dallas-based World Craniofacial Foundation (WCF) of the USA.

Over 1000 children have undergone complex craniofacial reconstruction by Dr SM Balaji. His expertise in addressing every craniofacial defect has made him the best craniofacial surgeon in India.

Based on our excellent track record, children with craniofacial deformities are routinely referred to our hospital to undergo comprehensive rehabilitation of their debilitating deformities.

Indications for Undergoing Craniofacial Surgery

Many syndromes lead to premature fusion of the cranial sutures. The cranial sutures are in the form of fibrous bands in infants that connect the various bones of the skull at the time of birth. They expand as the brain increases in size and create space for the growing brain. They begin to undergo calcification at around two years of age.

The various sutures of the skull are the coronal, sagittal, lambdoid and metopic sutures. Children can be born with premature fusion of the sutures leading to characteristic deformities of the skull.

Various Deformities of the Bone Caused by Premature Fusion

Trigonocephaly is caused by premature fusion of metopic suture. This lends a triangular shape to the developing forehead. Growth of the bone is restricted in the transverse direction thus leading to this abnormal shape to the forehead.

Scaphocephaly is the condition where there is the premature fusion of the sagittal suture. This is the most common form of craniostenosis and is characterized by an elongated narrow head. This has to be addressed surgically to ensure that the increased intracranial pressure is relieved for the normal development of the growing brain.

Plagiocephaly is caused by premature fusion of one of the coronal sutures. There is an asymmetrical head shape in this deformity with flattening of one side of the head.

Brachycephaly is the premature fusion of both coronal sutures and results in an abnormally wide and elongated head. We are also a specialty center for corrective surgery for patients who have been unsuccessfully treated elsewhere.

Premature fusion of the bones results in compression and increased intracranial pressure due to the growth of the developing brain. Left untreated, this can lead to irreversible brain damage and eventually death.

Children born with these conditions exhibit abnormalities in their appearance and behavior, which can be directly linked to the premature fusion of these bones. They are irritable, fussy and they do not form the usual mother and child bond. They appear distant and are not playful like other little children.

Early diagnosis and excellent treatment planning are very important for the treatment of these deformities.

Hypertelorism is a common feature in various craniofacial syndromes. This is commonly caused by varying degrees of craniofacial deformities. It is manifested by abnormally widely spaced eyes.

The interorbital distance is greatly increased. This is corrected through box osteotomy and facial bipartition surgery. Correction of hypertelorism leads to a dramatic improvement in the aesthetic appearance of the face. The patient develops a healthy degree of self-esteem and increased confidence following this correction.

To be considered the best craniofacial surgeon in India is a very high honor. This honor is bestowed by the parents of children who have been successfully rehabilitated through craniofacial surgery. It takes many years of hard work and experience to gain the necessary expertise to master this difficult and demanding surgical superspecialty.

Craniofacial deformities are extremely debilitating for children. Our hospital has earned the sobriquet of best craniofacial hospital in India due to its track record of successfully rehabilitating scores of children from around the world.

Being the best craniofacial surgeon in India demands long hours of work with a single-minded dedication towards helping afflicted children lead normal lives. This is an extremely rewarding branch of surgery as the change brought about in the patient’s life is a life-changing experience for the surgeon too.