International Craniofacial Institute

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International Craniofacial Institute

www.craniofacial.net Offering real hope to those with craniofacial differences, and offering a wide

At the International Craniofacial Institute, we specialize in treating:
Complex Craniofacial Conditions, Cleft Lip & Palate Repair, and General Pediatric Plastic Surgery

Full List of Services Offered

Craniofacial Conditions:

Craniosynostosis
Cleft Lip and Palate
Ear Anomalies / Microtia / Ear Wells
Encephalocoele
Eye and Orbit Anomalies
Jaw Anomalies
Nose Anomalies
Pierre Robin Sequence
Plagiocephaly
Sleep Apnea
Tumors

Craniofacial Syndromes:
Apert
Carpenter
Crouzon
Down
Goldenhar
Hemifacial Microsomia
Muenke
Parry-Romberg
Pfeiffer
Saethre-Chotzen
Treacher Collins

General Pediatric Plastic Surgery:
Bumps, Burns, Dog bites, Lacerations, Lesions, Scars, etc. Other Treatments:
Adolescent Breast Reduction
Adolescent Gynecomastia Repair
Eyelid Deformities
Facial Trauma Reconstruction
Nasal Deformities or Trauma
Vascular Malformations

03/30/2026

What a TREAT to see this guy thriving!

One way to reduce unwanted attention to a repaired cleft lip is a smooth and well-aligned white roll.

The “white roll” is the lighter highlight along the border from the skin (cutaneous part) of the lip down to the red part of the lip (i.e., vermilion).

I do think the Z-plasty just above the Cupid’s bow helps with the natural contour of the lip — a little more snug transversely, with a concavity above the white roll. Then a transition back outwards with a convexity at the white roll, continuing around the vermilion and into the mucosa on the inside of the lip.

Sometimes following up on patients undergoing a different technique, I do see some flattening of this natural S-shape when looking from the side. In part, I think it’s because the straight scar across it can lead to scar shortening (which is an inevitable and normal part of scar healing).
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

03/23/2026

4 years and growing for this sweet boy after his cleft lip repair!

My first suture on the lip is always the muscle repair at Cupid’s Bow, at that border between the skin on the lip, and the dry vermilion.

This landmark is key for the 3D contour of the lip, with the white roll that highlights the shape of the upper lip.

If this highlight is smooth and continuous, less unwanted attention is paid to the lip, with hopefully less self-consciousness about it in the future.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

03/16/2026

This boy is seen after repair of his unilateral cleft lip.

Extreme care is taken to align the vermilion (or red) margin of the lip, as even a stepoff of 1mm is noticeable in conversation.

Nasal repair varies depending on how the nose is affected, but normally some amount of nasal repair is performed at the first lip repair to improve long-term breathing and symmetry.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

03/09/2026

This boy is seen after repair of his unilateral cleft lip.

The scar for this repair is usually designed to fall along the normal philtral column, making the scar less noticeable in conversation.

Slight asymmetries in the red part of the lip may be touched up as needed, including at the time of other procedures like the cleft palate or cleft rhinoplasty repair.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

03/02/2026

This boy is seen after repair of his bilateral cleft lip.

The lip from either side of the cleft is repaired in the midline, with attempt made to reconstruct a more normal appearance of the lip.

At the first surgery, some repair is performed on the nose as well to lengthen the columella and improve the appearance and function of the nasal passage.
⁠.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

02/23/2026

This boy is seen at 4 weeks after repair of his unilateral cleft lip.

Anatomic repair of the muscles in the lip, and of key landmarks on the lip, restore balance and symmetry.
⁠.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

02/16/2026

Our hearts are full as we get to see our patients thrive and grow.

The first year of life is often a stressful one for any family.

Our patients born with a cleft of the lip and/or palate – and their families – have additional worries about surgery, recovery, doctors’ visits, bills, time away from work, attention away from other siblings and family, and so much more.

Remembering all of that is part of the joy of our follow-ups.

We get to see the other side: the trips to Disney, starting school, going to prom, getting married, and then coming back to visit with kids of their own!

Witnessing the pure love of parents with their children – kindles the soul (paraphrasing Seneca).
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

02/09/2026

1 week after any surgery is still very early in healing after surgery. For clefts, this is especially so. The scar softens and matures like every scar: initially strengthening over ~6 weeks, then maturing over the next 6-12 months. Scar massage can help soften up the scar, reorienting the scar fibers.

Importantly, avoiding sunlight and using SPF can help minimize the thickness of the scar, and any changes making the scar lighter and darker. Applying paper tape can also help provide gentle pressure and protection against sunlight, while taking some tension off of the skin edges.
⁠.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

02/02/2026

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton

The first year can be tough on patients and families at baseline, and that is especially true for children and families with any medical condition.

For our babies with cleft lip and palate, that may involve:

0) Prenatal visits to prepare and learn

1) NAM (nasoalveolar molding – i.e., some shaping of the nose and of the gum line) with visits every 1-2 weeks the first few months

2) Cleft lip repair at 3-6 months of age

3) Cleft palate repair (and usually ear tube placement) at 9-12 months.

That’s a lot! And some of our patients also have heart conditions or other problems that means a lot of doctors’ appointments and learning all too well about how the medical insurance system works (or doesn’t work!).

The good news is we have the experience in navigating the rough times, and seeing our patients and families on to grow into their happiest, healthiest lives.

This patient is seen here at 1 month after their lip repair, with a good lip and nose foundation for their long future ahead.
⁠.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

01/26/2026

What a great time visiting with this boy born with an incomplete cleft lip!

I want to give reassurance to families, for when the early scar can be a little tight leading to more asymmetry.

The intermediate photos are a few months after the first cleft lip surgery, and then the later ones are now over 3 years after that surgery.

The release, reorientation, and balancing of the muscle, are the most important factors in the long run, as the skin will continue to grow and adapt to the movement and support of the muscle underneath it.

These steps help the septum and columella grow more upright, and the white roll along Cupid’s bow stay transversely oriented instead of peaking upwards.
⁠.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

01/19/2026

A sweet annual visit with this girl headed to visit the bright lights of Disney World soon!

Annual visits in the 4-6 year range center around speech. Kids are now able to participate more with an evaluation. Parents often also have a few videos of their kids speaking at home to give some more context and information to go off of.

Rarely, patients have come as far as possible with speech therapy, but anatomically need a lengthening of the palate, or closure of the space in the back directly with a pharyngeal flap.

At this visit, we also start talking about teeth, orthodontics, and getting ready for bone grafting to fill the gap in bone. That grafted bone then gives a place in which the teeth around it can live happily and securely.

Also rarely, we also discuss a revision of a cleft lip or nose repair. Sometimes the septum of the nose is causing severe nasal obstruction. Sometimes patients had poor healing from their original surgery due to an infection or a fall.
⁠.
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

01/12/2026

This young man has a history of a repaired bilateral cleft lip and palate, and had difficulty chewing because his upper and lower teeth did not naturally come together.

The upper jaw often does not grow as much as the lower jaw, or may grow canted, in our patients born with a cleft.

Not every patient with a cleft will need this surgery, but it is one we perform routinely given the number of cleft and non-cleft craniofacial patients we see.

We usually wait until patients are fully skeletally mature before doing this surgery, to minimize the risk of needing to do any future surgeries.

Occasionally, the difference in the upper and lower jaw is so severe that we do perform distraction surgery prior to full maturity, knowing that we may need another surgery in the future.

He is seen here at 6 weeks after his operation, with his splint out and smile ready to show off!

⁠
‭💻 craniofacial.net⁠⠀⁠
📱 ⁠
☎️ (214) 241-1997⁠
📍 Dallas, TX ⁠
📍 Plano, TX⁠
⁠🏥 Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon⁠
🎓 Craniofacial Fellowship Trained⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠

Address

7777 Forest Lane, Building C, Suite 528
Dallas, TX
75230

Website

http://www.craniofacial.net/

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