Craniofacial & Cleft Palate Conditions
At our Craniofacial and Cleft Palate Clinic at CHRISTUS Children’s our mission is to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to patients and families with Cleft and Craniofacial conditions. We treat children of all ages with a wide range of conditions, including cleft lip, cleft palate, microtia, craniofacial microsomia, and skull malformations including craniosynostosis. Because of the complexity of many of these conditions, patients are evaluated and treated by a multispecialty team of experts.
The Craniofacial and Cleft Palate Clinic at CHRISTUS Children’s provides comprehensive, compassionate care to children with medical conditions affecting their head or face. The team consists of experts in surgical reconstruction, genetic testing, speech therapy, hearing, dental and orthodontics, psychology, and more.
Hours & Locations
Children's - Craniofacial & Cleft Palate Clinic
Certified by the American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association
We are the only institution in San Antonio to be for both cleft and craniofacial expertise
Conditions We Treat
Due to the complexity of craniofacial and cleft palate abnormalities, a team of pediatric subspecialists work together to evaluate each child and determine an individualized treatment plan that will provide the best possible outcome. Our multidisciplinary care team works together with each family to determine the most effective treatment plan for their child’s needs.
Conditions we treat include:
- Cleft lip and/or palate: Opening in the upper lip and/or the roof of the mouth
- Nasal alveolar molding (NAM)
- Pierre Robin Sequence
- Treacher Collins Syndrome
- Craniofacial Microsomia
- Microtia: Partial or total absence of the ear
- Craniosynostosis: A type of premature fusing of the skull that inhibits normal growth & development
- Craniosynostosis syndromes: Including Crouzon, Apert, & Pfeiffer Syndrome
What to Expect at Your First Visit
During your initial team visit, you will be meeting with several dedicated specialists. Our Craniofacial Nurse Coordinator will reach out to you prior to your visit to let you know what to expect, get some initial information, and make your visit more efficient. Because you will be seeing multiple specialists throughout the day, your initial visit will likely take approximately three hours. We want to avoid unnecessary delays or repetition, so don’t forget to bring all of your child’s medical records, including the names of all individuals involved in your child’s health care and all medical reports, X-rays, and CT scans or MRIs.
After your visit, all the specialists will meet in a care conference. This allows for coordination of care and development of an individualized treatment plan. A report with the team’s recommendations is drafted and sent to you as well as your primary care pediatrician.
While you may see some of the individual specialists more frequently depending on your child’s needs, most families usually return for a full team evaluation every one to two years. If you are traveling a long distance and need overnight accommodations, our program coordinator will work with our social worker to help you find options.