Craniomaxillofacial Surgery: Pediatric Reconstructive Surgery

The primary difficulty with pediatric fractures is not their complexity or severity, but rather the rate of growth in children. Children can sustain severe Craniomaxillofacial injuries that require appropriate repair. The primary factors that distinguish the treatment of pediatric facial fractures are facial growth, a faster healing process, and a higher potential for remodeling. Inadequate treatment of upper and midfacial injuries may result in serious alterations of facial growth.

Children’s facial bones are located in a recessed position and the cranium and forehead shield the smaller lower and middle thirds of the face from injury. During the second year of life facial growth outpaces cranial growth; brain and ocular growth are almost completed by age 6 while facial growth continues into a person’s 20’s. This disparity in facial structure explains to some degree why young children experience more skull fractures and fewer facial fractures than adults. In children, the force necessary to cause major craniofacial disruption often results in brain injury and death.

The course is designed to equip surgeons with the skills necessary to treat and manage pediatric fractures in an ever challenging and shifting environment. Highlights of the course will include sessions on treatment options for craniofacial defects, mandibular fractures, mid and upper facial fractures, and pediatric vascular lesions.