Craniofacial & Cleft Surgery
Find compassionate, comprehensive care for your child.
If your child has a cleft or craniofacial condition, you may need long-term comprehensive care. At Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, your multi-specialty cleft and craniofacial team offers surgical expertise along with ongoing supportive care for your child and family. We provide care coordination and ongoing communication – from birth to adulthood – so you and your child can focus on enjoying family time.
Their baby struggled to breathe. This team helped save his life.
Getting Started and Referrals
The cleft and craniofacial team welcomes patients of all ages with or without a physician’s referral. We provide prenatal consultations upon request from an obstetrician, and we are available to answer any questions you may have about our services.
(910) 667-6406
Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Timeline
Because each child is unique, we create a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your child's individual needs. The following timeline outlines some procedures that may be performed during the course of treatment if your child is born with a cleft lip and palate:
Pre-natal:
Ultrasound detection* and consultation
Pre-surgery:
Lip and nasal molding
3-4 months:
Cleft lip and nose repair
8-12 months:
Cleft palate repair (possible placement of ear tubes)
4-6 years:
Surgery to improve speech as needed
6-9 years:
Bone grafting of the upper jaw
4-18 years:
Corrective jaw surgery
14-18 years:
Cleft lip and nose (rhinoplasty) revision as needed
Why Choose Novant?
The Novant Health multi-specialty cleft and craniofacial team is recognized for meeting the high standards from the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) and the Cleft Palate Foundation.
The “craniofacial” designation means we offer an additional level of care for patients with congenital conditions affecting the skull and face.
As an ACPA-approved team, Novant Health provides cleft and craniofacial care in a coordinated and consistent manner. We follow a proven method for providing care to meet your overall developmental, medical and psychological needs.
Meet Our Team
Children born with cleft lip and palate may need ongoing care as they grow and develop. At Novant Health, we make it easy for your child to access top medical and surgical experts as well as specialists to help with speech, nutrition, or mental and emotional health.
Led by medical director Michael Jaskolka, DDS, MD, FACS, our team is uniquely skilled in providing comprehensive treatment plans delivered by a compassionate team dedicated to supporting you and your family through every step. Dr. Jaskolka will meet with you before your first visit for an in-depth consultation, and he works with you to ensure you and your family's needs are identified early.
Our dedicated team of multi-specialty cleft and craniofacial experts include:
- Cleft and craniofacial surgeon
- Neurosurgeons
- Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists
- Pediatric Anesthesia
- Pediatric Dentists
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Orthodontists
- Genetics counselor
- Developmental psychologist
- Nutrition and feeding experts
- Speech and language pathology
- Clinical coordinators
