Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Fellowships - Craniofacial Fellowship
Craniofacial Surgery
Craniofacial Surgery is a subspecialty of plastic surgery. This subspecialty includes the in-depth study of disorders of the soft and hard tissues of the face and cranial areas, such as congenital anomalies, post-traumatic, and other acquired deformities. Fellows trained in craniofacial surgery should be able to manage any hard or soft tissue reconstruction problem of the craniofacial region.
Duration and Scope
- length of educational program is 1 year clinical with research opportunities
- admission open to those satisfactorily completing an accredited plastic surgery residency program or other appropriately qualified surgeons
- participation in the San Francisco Match
Description of Fellowship
- In-depth and comprehensive "mentorship" experience with the preoperative evaluation, treatment planning, operative treatment, and postoperative management of patients with congenital and acquired craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery diagnoses.
- Full day a week involvement with a large interdisciplinary cleft-craniofacial team, with formal exposure to team members and their respective roles.
- Weekly outpatient clinic experience in the preoperative evaluation and postoperative management of craniofacial patients.
- Formal experience with pediatric otolaryngology, focusing on the difficult airway clinic.
- Formal experience with oral and maxillofacial surgery, focusing on cephalometric analysis, fabrication of dental models and orthagnathic splints, surgical treatment planning, and orthagnathic surgery.
- Formal experience with the reconstructive management of post-ablative defects from malignancy about the craniomaxillofacial region with free flap surgery and bone grafting techniques.
- Formal experience with craniomaxillofacial trauma, both acute and post-traumatic deformity reconstruction.
- Formal weekly conference with the fellowship director to review assigned readings in core curriculum topics relating to craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery topics.
Clinical Goals and Objectives
- to experience a broad education in the art and science of craniofacial surgery and pediatric plastic surgery
- to experience progressive senior surgical responsibility in the essential phases of patient care: preoperative evaluation, therapeutic decision making, operative experience, and postoperative management
- participate in the diagnosis, planning, operative treatment, and postoperative care of craniofacial diagnoses including: craniosynostosis, midface hypoplasia, facial symmetries, Treacher Collins syndrome, Craniofacial Microsomia, congenital and traumatic orbital dysmorphologies, craniofacial clefting and orbital hypertelorism, atrophic and hypertrophic disorders such as Romberg's disease and hemifacial hypertrophy, craniofacial bony neoplasms such as fibrous dysplasia and osteomas, neurofibromatosis, vascular anomalies, post traumatic craniofacial deformities, and craniofacial exposures in cranial base surgery
- participate in a multidisciplinary integrated craniofacial team
- gain experience in the surgical correction of congenital clefts of the lip and palate both primary and secondary repairs and revisions
- gain experience with the evaluation and treatment of pediatric plastic surgery diagnoses such as: traumatic deformities, giant congenital nevi, vascular anomalies, congenital hand
- gain experience in reconstructive management of defects after ablative surgery for malignancy of the craniomaxillofacial region
Didactic Goals and Objectives
- demonstrate knowledge of normal and abnormal embryology and fetal development of the head and neck
- demonstrate ability to interpret radiological studies including dental radiographs, cephalometric analysis, CT and MRI imaging modalities
- demonstrate expertise in the construction of dental study models, orthagnathic splints, and their use in craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery
- appreciate the standards of cephalometric normalcy as they relate to the face
- demonstrate an understanding of bone healing, including primary healing, malunion, nonunion, osteomyelitis, and the physiology and methods of bone grafting
- demonstrate an understanding of the use of alloplastic materials in craniofacial reconstruction
- demonstrate knowledge of congenital, developmental, and secondary deformities of the head and face
Research Opportunities
While at least one clinical research project leading to presentation and publication is expected during the fellowship year, significant basic and applied basic science research opportunities are available. For those interested, research experience can be obtained in one of three nationally known laboratories.
The Plastic Surgery Research
Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh
The Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory is directed by Kacey G. Marra, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering and Faculty of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This laboratory conducts scientific investigation in multiple interdisciplinary areas. The scope of projects revolves around the two future avenues of tissue reconstruction: transplantation and tissue engineering. Modalities are investigated to manipulate the immune system in order to achieve transplantation of composite tissue allografts. Novel biomaterials are being designed for skin, bone, and nerve regeneration, with a strong focus on polymeric materials, both native and synthetic. This laboratory isolates preadipocytes from human adipose tissue, and is exploring applications of these adult stem cells in soft tissue reconstruction. Of recent interest is the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes, neural progenitor cells, and osteoblasts for tissue engineering applications.
Craniofacial Biology
The Experimental Animal Surgery Laboratory and the Posvar Hall Animal Care Facility is directed by Mark P. Mooney, PhD, Professor in the Departments of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Anthropology, Plastic Surgery, and Orthodontics. Dr. Mooney is a craniofacial biologist who studies craniofacial growth and development as well as wound healing following surgical manipulation and device implantation - using comparative animal models. He is also interested in the etiopathogenesis of craniofacial anomalies. Ongoing projects in this laboratory involve the development of cytokine and gene therapies to rescue craniosynostotic sutures and prevent postoperative resynostosis in a congenital rabbit model of craniosynostosis; the use of guided tissue regeneration with growth factors and osteogenic cells to prevent postoperative fibrous nonunions in craniofacial surgery; and, the facilitation of osseous wound healing in critical sized craniofacial defects using tissue engineered bone scaffolds.
Bone Tissue Engineering Center
The Carnegie Mellon University Bone Tissue Engineering Laboratory is a fully quipped state of the art molecular biology lab, polymer chemical lab, and histology/histomorphology lab. It is run by Jeffrey O. Hollinger, DDS, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences, who is internationally known for his work in bone biology.
Application Process for Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery Fellowship
Applications for the Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery Fellowship beginning July 1, 2009 will be accepted July 1, 2008 - October 30, 2008.
If you have not done so already, please register with the San Francisco Fellowship Match for Craniofacial Surgery (http://www.sfmatch.org).
Please submit the following information with your application packet:
You may mail your completed Craniofacial Fellowship Application materials to:
Nina D. Beedle
Craniofacial Fellowship Coordinator
3550 Terrace Street
Scaife Hall, Suite 683
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Office: 412-383-8082
Fax: 412-383-8986
E-mail: beedlend@upmc.edu
If you have any questions or require additional information regarding the Fellowship or Match, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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