Cleft and Craniofacial Services
Overview
Our M Health Fairview surgeons are national leaders in the area of cleft and craniofacial care and are active in leadership, advocacy, and research. Our pediatric cleft and craniofacial team treat patients with cleft lip, palate, and many other craniofacial conditions.
Furthermore, as part of a larger system of experts, your M Health Fairview cleft and craniofacial providers team up with experts in all aspects of complex care. We work together with your child’s entire care team to coordinate excellent care.
Care can begin before children are born and we continue to partner with patients and families into adulthood.
Our approach
First and foremost, we take a family-centric approach. Our team provides recommendations in conjunction with parent’s guidance and feedback.
We also believe in coordinating care across disciplines. Your child may have other health concerns in addition to craniofacial needs.
Lastly, we know that navigating care for your child with cleft lip and palate or other craniofacial disorder is complex. We do everything we can to make it easier by ensuring that patients see all the necessary providers during their clinic visit. Coordinated care is both more convenient for families and allows the team to work together in real time to deliver better outcomes.
Our Philosophy of Care for Cleft and Craniofacial Conditions
Our goal is to partner with your family to ensure that children with cleft lip and palate or other craniofacial conditions thrive, starting even before they are born.
Prenatal Visits: What to Expect
Care of cleft and craniofacial conditions can start before patients are born. We work in conjunction with the M Health Fairview Maternal Fetal Medicine program to provide prenatal care for our patients, and we offer parents prenatal consultations with members of our team. A prenatal visit can answer questions about what to expect, introduce parents to our team and provide resources for parents before and after baby is born.
Our Team
Our team includes providers and faculty with the University of Minnesota, U of M Physicians, and Fairview Health Services. We work together to provide an integrated treatment approach in order to provide the best treatment, care, and long-term management resources for our patients.
We are conveniently located across from Masonic Children’s Hospital on the 2nd floor of Park Plaza, 701 25th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454. This is within the Lions Children’s Hearing and ENT Clinic. We can be reached by phone at 612-365-8346.
For more information on our team click here.
Ear Anomaly Clinic: For any infants who may benefit from ear molding, a friendly reminder that referrals within the first 1-2 weeks of life are ideal. We prioritize these appointments to ensure we can start treatment during that critical window for the best results. Learn More
Multidisciplinary Pediatric Facial Trauma and Scar Clinic: We're thrilled to welcome our new facial plastics surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Mella, to the team! In addition to routine and complex facial plastics, we are expanding our pediatric scar management services. We're now happy to offer a wide range of treatments, including CO2 laser resurfacing for complex scars. Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
We see patients ranging in age from birth to adulthood, and even help provide prenatal care when possible.
Our Cleft Nurse Coordinator, Ahna Logan RN, is available to help coordinate cleft care as well as other complex care needs of our patients. She can be reached at 612-365-8346.
Our multidisciplinary team consists of facial plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, speech therapists, psychologist, otolaryngologists, audiologist, geneticists, social workers, and nurse team coordinators.
Though each situation is different, the team aims for initial lip repair to occur between two to five months. Palate repair usually occurs between 10 and 12 months. Patients with specific needs may require different timing, and the plan will be tailored to each patient’s needs.
Providers for Cleft and Craniofacial Services
View All ProvidersLocations for Cleft and Craniofacial Services
- M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center - Minneapolis
- M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center - Minneapolis
- Lions Hearing and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Clinic