Plastic Surgery
Specializing in the surgical correction and management of congenital and acquired conditions including craniofacial anomalies, hand abnormalities and vascular anomalies the Plastic Surgery Practice at Children's serves over 1,650 children annually, with over 4,000 combined visits, day surgeries and inpatient stays. Each year our surgeons perform 500 plastic surgeries.
Outpatient Care
Whenever possible, surgical procedures are done on an outpatient, day surgery basis. This reduces the stress to both the child and the family and encourages faster recovery time. The outpatient practice sees more than 272 visits a month and our clinical staff perform over 435 outpatient surgeries for over 390 patients each year.
Inpatient Care
Though every effort is made to see patients on an outpatient basis, sometimes an inpatient stay is necessary. Our team's quality is reflected in recovery time, however. Our plastic and reconstructive surgery length of stay (LOS) is less than 3 ½ days, which is almost a full day shorter than the adjusted LOS for children having plastic surgery at 40 other pediatric hospitals across the U.S.
At Children’s, our plastic surgeons and clinical staff see over 285 patients admitted to the hospital each year for over 335 visits. At over 160 cases/physician (as compared to a national average of 29), this makes Children’s plastic surgery practice one of the busiest in the country. Approximately half of the inpatient surgeries are to repair a cleft lip or palate.
Emphasis on patient comfort and care is reflected in our outstanding patient and family satisfaction scores. Children’s Plastic Surgery outpatient services scored a 91.1% on overall patient and family satisfaction.
With high volumes and low lengths of stays combined with their surgical experience, our board certified pediatric plastic surgeons play a vital role in correcting facial, hand and vascular anomalies. Primary care doctors from throughout the state trust the experience of our plastic surgeons when referring kids to Children’s Hospital.
Why pediatric plastic surgery?
The effect of a visible disfigurement can be devastating for a child’s development, self-confidence and self-esteem, particularly when the disfigurement is on the face. In a recent study of children who were asked to rank drawings of other children, they consistently ranked lowest the drawings with a cleft lip or protruding teeth. At Children’s Hospital, our Department of Pediatric Plastic Surgery physicians and staff play a vital role in correcting facial and other disfigurements throughout the Central Valley for neonates, infants, children and even adults with congenital disorders.
Surgeons also work with the Hospital's Trauma Services to help kids who have been victims of a serious injury. In many cases this service is a key step to regained function. For example, facial reconstruction after head trauma can affect functions like a child's ability to see.
Services Offered & Conditions Treated
Craniofacial Anomalies
- Cleft lip
- Cleft palate
- Jaw disorders
- Fractures and other facial injuries
- Stickler syndrome
- Pierre Robin sequence
- Microtia
- Velocardiofacial syndrome
- Facial deformity
- Abnormal head shape
- Orthognathis maxillofacial reconstruction
- Complex reconstructive problems
- Oral lesions
Hand Surgery
- Trauma
- Congenital anomalies
- Spasticity
- CCS
- Tetraplegic
- Vascular
- Joint Implants
- Free flaps
- Burns
- Extra fingers or thumbs
- Fused fingers
- Hand and carpal bone injuries
- Hypoplastic upper extremities
- Contractures
Vascular Anomalies
- Vascular Malformations
- Hemangioma
Craniofacial Anomalies Clinic
- The Craniofacial Anomalies Clinic specializes in the surgical correction and management of cleft lip and palate and other maxillofacial reconstruction.
- Our pediatric plastic surgeons work with pediatric dentists, orthodontists and oral maxillofacial surgeons who contribute to the multidisciplinary clinic.
Expertise
Our board certified pediatric plastic surgeons have expertise in craniofacial reconstruction (cleft lip and palate repair) and hand surgery.
Multidisciplinary Services