Pediatric Plastic Surgery - Multi-Disciplinary Emphasis

Multi-Disciplinary Emphasis

With the unique challenges created in the field of plastic surgery, an increasingly popular trend has been to utilize the multi-disciplinary team approach in treatment.

Common conditions involving team treatment include:

• Breast problems - Includes gynecomastia (male breast development), macromastia (excessively large breasts), tuberous defects, and breast asymmetry. Often, not only do children with breast conditions suffer from physical problems, but psychological side effects as well. With this knowledge, current multi-disciplinary clinics have arisen including specialists from plastic surgery, nutrition, adolescent medicine, psychology, gynecology, and social work.
• Head, Neck, and Skullbase Tumors – Includes angiofibroma, desmoid tumors, fibrosarcomas, hemangiomas, lymphomas and lymphatic malformations, and neuroblastoma. While the bulk of procedures may be left up to neurosurgeons, otolaryngology, and maxillofacial surgery, a multidisaplinary approach is also crucial to minimize scars and maintain a somewhat normal shape and function.
• Cleft lip and palate – In cleft lip and palate cases, not are there only hampering physical side effects manifested in the under developed lip and palate, there are also a host of other potential complications. For this reason, CLP children are cared for by a team that may include plastic surgeons or oral and maxillofacial surgeons, speech pathologists, audiologists, densits, orthodontists, and genetics professionals if there is an associated syndrome.
• Craniofacial anomalies - Includes craniosynostosis, plagiocephaly, and syndromes associated with these defects. In cases of craniosynostosis where surgical intervention is necessary, the involvement of a team of multi-disciplinary professionals is of utmost importance. Team members often come from departments of plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery, audiology, dentistry, orthodontics, and speech and language pathology. These professionals often assist not only in operational procedures, but in developing coordinated care plans for the child throughout their life.
• Vascular anomalies – vascular malformations, hemangiomas, and rare vascular tumors. Not only do vascular anomalies have often prominent interior bodily effects; they manifest themselves physically as well. For this reason, the involvement of multiple specialties in coordinating care is of utmost importance. Specialists involve in vascular anomalies and hemangioma care often hail from the disciplines of general surgery, vascular anomalies research, plastic surgery, dermatology, cardiology, hematology/oncology, neurology/neurosurgery, maxillofacial surgery, and otolaryngology. The child needs treatment not only to minimize the physical side effects of a hemangioma or vascular anomalies, but also help in finding out why the tumor is present (if it is in fact a tumor), and developing a course of treatment if necessary.