Pediatric Plastic Surgery

Whether your child has a cleft lip, birthmark, webbed fingers or another condition present at birth, our team can help. As the only pediatric plastic surgery team in central Missouri, we provide specialized care for your family, close to home.

At Children’s Hospital, our pediatric plastic surgeons are highly skilled in caring for kids born with face and skull differences. We also provide leading-edge surgery for kids with hand conditions, jaw issues and syndromes that affect growth and appearance at birth. Our team provides reconstructive surgery as well, helping children heal and recover after traumatic injuries or burns.

We’re here to answer your questions, address your concerns and help you develop a plan.

Types of Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at MU Health Care

Our pediatric plastic surgeons offer the full scope of minimally invasive and traditional surgeries.

Craniofacial Surgery (Head and Skull Surgery)

Families from across Missouri come to Children’s Hospital for specialized care for common and rare head and skull conditions. Our experienced surgeons can treat issues such as:

Gap in the upper lip or palate (cleft lip and palate)
Prematurely fused skull (craniosynostosis)
Uneven face (hemifacial microsomia)
Underdeveloped or missing ear (microtia)
Crouzon syndrome and other craniofacial syndromes that affect skull shape
Small jaw associated with Pierre Robin sequence or Treacher Collins syndrome

Hand Surgery

Some of our pediatric plastic surgeons have additional training in hand surgery to correct issues such as:

Cleft hand
Webbed fingers and toes (syndactyly)
Extra fingers or toes (polydactyly)
Grooves in the limbs (amniotic band syndrome)
“Clubhand” (radial dysplasia or ulnar dysplasia)
Bent pinkie fingers (camptodactyly)
Overgrown toes or fingers (macrodactyly)
Trigger finger or thumb
Loss of arm function (brachial plexus palsy)
Trauma or burns to the hands

By correcting these issues, we can help improve your child’s hand function and quality of life. At Children’s Hospital, some hand surgeries are also performed by pediatric orthopaedic surgeons.

Jaw Surgery

Our craniofacial surgeons, oral surgeons and orthodontists work together to repair complex jaw anomalies from hemifacial microsomia and other conditions. We offer jaw lengthening and reconstruction through a series of surgeries as your child grows as well as an innovative technique called mandibular distraction, which uses a special device to lengthen the jawbone.

Other Conditions We Treat

Our pediatric plastic surgeons also offer leading-edge treatments for conditions such as:

How to See Our Plastic Surgery Team

You can get a referral from your OB/GYN, maternal fetal medicine specialist or your child’s primary care provider. Or you may reach out to us directly.

Our pediatric plastic surgeons also provide second opinions if you want to explore your child’s treatment options. Because we’re part of an academic health system, we can often provide alternatives that are not available at other hospitals.

Our Approach to Pediatric Plastic Surgery

Our team of specialists includes:

Pediatric plastic surgeons who have advanced training in craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, jaw surgery and other procedures.
Pediatric plastic surgery nurses, who help educate and support your family.
Pediatric neurosurgeons, who collaborate on surgeries for skull conditions like craniosynostosis.
Pediatric ear, nose and throat specialists (ENTs), who assist with procedures for microtia (absent ear), cleft palate and other issues.
Geneticists, who can test your baby for genetic mutations that can cause differences at birth.
Developmental pediatricians, who can help manage behavioral issues and other concerns as your child grows.
Orthodontists, who may be part of your child’s jaw surgery team.

For your first visit, you’ll meet with a pediatric plastic surgeon and pediatric plastic surgery nurse. We’ll work with you to understand your goals, so we can personalize treatment to your child’s needs. If your child requires multiple procedures as they grow, we’ll provide a long-term plan and offer guidance along the way.

For kids with complex head and skull conditions, we offer a team-based evaluation. You can meet with your pediatric plastic surgeon and other specialists on the same day. Together, we’ll combine our expertise to recommend a treatment plan, so you have all the information you need at once.

Support for Your Family

We support you and your child even after surgery is complete. Children’s Hospital provides many services to assist your family, including:

Audiology to test your child for hearing issues that affect many kids with these conditions
Speech-language pathology to help with speech and feeding issues
Child life to reduce stress during treatment and hospital stays
Dietary services to address feeding and nutritional concerns
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy to enhance your child’s healing after surgery
Pediatric mental health support for social or psychological issues related to your child’s condition
Prosthetics if your child needs custom artificial body parts ·
Social workers to ensure your kid’s needs are met in the classroom