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

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
⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠

01/05/2026

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
⁠.
⁠ ⁠

12/29/2025

What a pleasure taking care of our patients who need jaw surgery.

It can be a tough surgery and tougher recovery, but the benefits to breathing, chewing, and facial balance can be tremendous.

This man worked through the worst of it - the months of prep work, swelling, drainage, difficulty sleeping, and more - with superb care and composure.

In this case, additional bone grafting to the upper cheeks helped improve lower eyelid support and balance, and augmented the bony healing and stability after the osteotomy.

We look forward to watch him continue on to greater things!

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

12/22/2025

Miss Libby is a beautiful lady now 27 years old she has completed her care as a bilateral cleft patient initiated by Dr. Kenneth Salyer and completed by Dr. Raul Barcelo.

She is now successfully working in Temple, Arizona.

We wish Libby the very best on her future life and appreciate her trust in our care.

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

⁠ ⁠

12/15/2025

What a joy to help care for our patients with a history of cleft lip and palate repair!

When your jaws do not line up well enough, no amount of speech therapy nor braces can fully address essential functions like:
- chewing food completely,
- speaking clearly, and
- smiling and socializing confidently.

I've included a sneak peek behind some of the 3D planning we do to minimize the risks of :
- relapse (leading to more surgery),
- hardware complications (needing removal or revision), and
- damage to tooth roots or nerves (causing permanent numbness or loss of dentition).

My current preference is a single plate on the right and left sides of the maxilla with single piece LeFort I advancements.

A multi-piece LeFort I is sometimes better off with a single, four-buttress plate, for more stable fixation!

Orthodontics:
Surgeon: Huay-Zong Law, MD
Hardware:

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

12/08/2025

Hemifacial/craniofacial microsomia includes a wide spectrum of severity and conditions, with many names including Goldenhar syndrome and oculo-auriculo-verterbral spectrum.⁠
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠
Some children are born with a slightly smaller lower jaw or ear. Other children may have severe asymmetry affecting multiple areas including the eye, ear, cheek, upper and lower jaw, and nerve function. Other organ systems may also be affected, including the heart, kidneys, spine, and arms/hands, and need to be evaluated as well.⁠
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠
As each and every child is unique, their treatment plan must also be tailored to their needs. The goals are always to offer the best chance at a happy and healthy life, while minimizing the number of surgeries and the risks involved.⁠
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠
For this gentleman, the occlusion of his teeth was severely slanted, with TMJ pain and popping.⁠
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠
To correct this, we performed upper and lower jaw surgery with TMJ replacement at the same time. We waited to do this until he reached skeletal maturity and had a long enough break from contact sports to heal.⁠
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠
After the first few months of recovery, his jaw is free of popping and pain, and his symmetry is improved. Further procedures like fat grafting may be offered to further fine tune any asymmetry if desired.⁠
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠
As you can see, we love our patients, especially ones we have cared for since they were little!⁠

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

12/01/2025

Braces are off for this young man after Jaw Surgery for severe malocclusion.

He has Gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia (distinct from osteogenesis imperfecta), a condition that caused >10 different fractures after minimal or no known trauma.

We offered jaw surgery after a thorough discussion of the risks and recovery process.

The surgery, thankfully, was a success. It included a multi-piece Lefort 1 advancement and BSSO setback.

For many years we have been using VSP (Virtual Surgical Planning) and custom 3D guides and plates. The improved consistency, accuracy, and efficiency are worth the planning time and process.

Best of all is the positive effect we can have on patients’ lives. Improved breathing, eating, speaking, and long-term dental and TMJ health, all make the surgery and recovery worthwhile when the surgery is needed.

⁠
‭💻 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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