Comprehensive cleft and craniofacial services
The pediatric craniofacial specialists at Children’s Minnesota care for most of the children in Minnesota (and the surrounding states) who have cleft and craniofacial conditions. Led by our ENT and facial plastic surgeons, our team treats everything from cleft lip and palate to rare craniofacial conditions at four clinic locations.
Our program is accredited by the American Cleft and Palate-Craniofacial Association, which provides a standard for team care. We approach each child’s treatment by drawing on the expertise of a multidisciplinary team.
Complex conditions such as cleft lip and palate and craniofacial disorders require coordinated care from multiple providers. Organizing care can be challenging. We do everything we can to enable patients to see all the necessary providers at one time, and to give those providers an opportunity to discuss recommendations and make plans together, in the same room, with the patient and family present. Our experts provide recommendations while relying on parents’ guidance and feedback. As patients become teenagers, we encourage them to participate in planning for treatment and surgeries.
Our philosophy of care for cleft and craniofacial conditions
Our goal is to make sure that children with cleft lip and palate or craniofacial conditions have the same opportunities in life as any other child — to grow in confidence, excel in school and have fun with their peers.
At Children’s Minnesota, we believe in:
Making a unique, comprehensive plan for each person. We address complicated cleft and craniofacial issues one step at a time, with expertise in audiology, dentistry, surgery, speech and language, otolaryngology and orthodontics.
Taking on the most challenging cases. As the foremost pediatric craniofacial specialists in the area, we diagnose and treat the rarest and most complicated conditions. We see about 350 patients in our cleft and craniofacial clinic each year.
Focusing on long-term wellbeing. Our team helps families prepare for the future by outlining what to expect during the first year of life and beyond for a child with cleft or craniofacial issues.