Diagnostic tests for cleft lip and palate in Helios Hospital Munich West

About the department

The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Facial Plastic Surgery at the Helios Hospital Munich West offers the full range of medical services in its areas of specialization. Patients with diseases, injuries, and deformities of the face, jaws, oral cavity, head, and neck are operated on here. The department's team of doctors often treats patients with benign and malignant head and neck tumors, dysgnathia, cleft lip and cleft palate, oral and maxillofacial traumatic injuries. The department also successfully performs plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery on the face and neck. In addition, the department's surgeons are competent in surgical dentistry. They are highly skilled in the placement of dental implants, bone augmentation, jaw cyst removal, wisdom tooth removal, and root apex resection. The department's specialists perform surgical treatment in operating rooms equipped with the latest technology. Surgical procedures are performed using minimally invasive, microsurgical, endoscopic, and laser techniques, always taking into account aesthetic aspects. The treatment complies with the requirements of the German Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (DGMKG). The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Dr. med. dent. Denys Loeffelbein.

The treatment of benign and malignant head and neck tumors is a priority for the department's surgeons. Patients undergo their treatment at the specialized Center for Head and Neck Surgery, where oral and maxillofacial surgeons, otolaryngologists, and oncologists work hand in hand. The doctors have impressive experience in the treatment of oral cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, paranasal sinus cancer, salivary gland cancer, skin tumors in the face and neck, and lymphomas. The initial consultation and study of the patient's medical history are followed by a comprehensive diagnosis, based on the results of which the interdisciplinary medical board determines the optimal treatment tactics. The first-line treatment is surgical tumor resection. The high-tech equipment in the department's operating rooms allows for the removal of head and neck tumors using low-traumatic surgical techniques. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons skillfully perform modern minimally invasive and laser surgical procedures, the results of which are comparable to classical open operations. In complex clinical cases, the specialists perform extensive resections, followed by reconstructive plastic surgery. The surgeons strive not only to provide the best therapeutic outcomes, but also take care of maintaining the aesthetics of the face and neck after surgery. In addition to surgery, most cases require chemotherapy and/or radiation. Patients receive psychological support throughout the therapeutic process.

An integral part of the daily clinical practice of the department's oral and maxillofacial surgeons is the treatment of dysgnathia (an abnormal bite). Many people mistakenly believe that the pathology is a purely aesthetic problem, but this is not true because it interferes with the full functioning of the dental system. Malocclusion requires appropriate treatment. Otherwise, patients will face deterioration in the condition of their teeth, chewing disorders, as well as breathing, swallowing, and speech impairments. In many cases, dysgnathia responds well to treatment with braces and aligners, but the only effective method for eliminating complex cases of abnormal bites is surgical correction. The department performs surgical interventions such as osteotomy, including segmental one, distraction osteogenesis, palatal expansion procedures, and genioplasty. Surgery to correct the bite is performed under local anesthesia. All incisions and sutures are made inside the oral cavity, so there are no scars on the face.

Dental surgery services are also in demand at the department. The team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons at the medical facility specializes in dental implantology, jaw bone augmentation, jaw cyst removal, wisdom tooth removal, root apex resection, abscess removal, and other procedures. Dental implantology provides an opportunity to restore a lost tooth or a whole row of teeth by implanting a titanium rod into the jawbone with the subsequent placement of a crown, and there is no need for grinding the neighboring healthy teeth, as in the placement of dental bridges. A dental implant is virtually identical to a natural tooth in appearance and functionality, which is its main advantage. In addition, dental implants have an unlimited lifespan. A prerequisite for dental implant placement is a sufficient volume of bone tissue, so if the patient's own bone tissue is insufficient for reliable implant placement, the specialists first perform sinus lift surgery.

The department's surgical options are complemented by facial plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. The department offers operations such as blepharoplasty, otoplasty, rhinoplasty, mentoplasty, genioplasty, face and neck lifts, forehead lifts, and facial lipofilling. Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed for medical reasons, for example, for congenital or acquired defects, after tumor removal surgery, after traumatic injuries, etc. Aesthetic facial plastic surgery is performed without any medical reasons, at the patient's request.

The department's key clinical activities include the following:

• Surgery for benign and malignant head and neck tumors
• Surgery for malocclusion (dysgnathia) and other dentoalveolar deformities
• Surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate, as well as other congenital oral and maxillofacial deformities
• Surgery for broken bones and other traumatic injuries to the oral cavity, jaws, and face, including nerve structures
• Dental surgery
  • Dental implantation
  • Bone augmentation (sinus lift surgery)
  • Jaw cyst removal
  • Wisdom tooth removal
  • Root apex resection
  • Abscess removal
• Facial plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery
  • Blepharoplasty
  • Otoplasty
  • Rhinoplasty
  • Mentoplasty
  • Genioplasty
  • Face and neck lifts
  • Forehead lifts
  • Facial lipofilling
• Other medical services