Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship

At the University of Pittsburgh, we seek to attract and train the future leaders in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery, as well as craniofacial biology research. Our fellowship 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 and pediatric plastic surgery at our institution will be able to manage any craniofacial or pediatric plastic surgery problem, and have the training to pursue an academic surgical career of their choice 

Duration and Scope

• length of educational program is a 1 year clinical fellowship with a required clinical research project and highly encouraged opportunities in the department’s basic science laboratories
• admission is open to surgeons who have satisfactorily completing an accredited plastic surgery residency program and who are board eligible or certified
• participation in the San Francisco Match program is required

Description of Fellowship

1. Comprehensive experience with the preoperative evaluation, treatment planning, operative treatment, and postoperative management of patients with congenital and acquired craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery diagnoses.
2. Comprehensive weekly involvement with a large interdisciplinary cleft-craniofacial team, with formal exposure to team members and their respective roles.
3. Weekly outpatient clinic experience in the preoperative evaluation and postoperative management of craniofacial patients.
4. Comprehensive experience with pediatric otolaryngology, focusing on the difficult airway clinic.
5. Comprehensive experience with maxillofacial surgery requiring fellow performed cephalometric analysis, fabrication of dental models and orthognathic splints, surgical treatment planning, and orthognathic surgery.
6. Comprehensive experience with the reconstructive management of post-ablative defects from malignancy about the craniomaxillofacial region with free flap surgery and bone grafting techniques.
7. Comprehensive experience with craniomaxillofacial trauma, both acute and post-traumatic deformity reconstruction.
8. Comprehensive experience in the broad scope of pediatric plastic surgery including vascular anomalies, congenital nevi, cleft lip and palate, brachial plexus, congenital hand (if interested), etc.
9. 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
• 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
• 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 including brachial plexus reconstruction
• 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