Diagnostic tests for cleft lip in Nuremberg Hospital

About the department

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery at the Nuremberg Hospital offers the full range of medical services in the areas of its specialization. The department's team of doctors successfully diagnoses and treats diseases, injuries, and malformations of the facial skeleton, jaws, and oral cavity. Dental and dentoalveolar surgery services are also available here. The department houses a specialized Cleft Lip and Palate Center, which admits patients of all age groups, ranging from newborns to adults. An integral part of the work of the department's doctors is the removal of tumors in the oral cavity, face, and neck, followed by reconstructive plastic surgery. The department has 20 beds for inpatients and offers a wide range of outpatient surgical interventions. The department has two central operating rooms and one outpatient operating room, in which more than 2,000 surgical interventions are performed annually. The operating rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and are adapted for the surgical treatment of young patients. More than 3,180 patients are treated at the health facility every year. The medical team strives to provide each patient with the best possible result while preserving facial aesthetics. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Dr. med. dent. Alexander Eckert.

The department's medical team is deservedly proud of its unique competence in the surgical treatment of oral, facial, and neck tumors. Of particular interest is malignant tumor resection surgery. Operations of this kind are most often performed on an outpatient basis. During surgical interventions, modern operating microscopes are widely used, with the help of which the specialist can clearly see the slightest anatomical structures and thus exclude damage to healthy adjacent tissues. Advanced computer programs allow the department's specialists to optimally plan the upcoming surgical intervention, taking into account the final outcomes, including aesthetic ones. When extensive surgical resections are performed, patients are additionally offered flap plastic surgery to close facial skin defects, for example, in cases of surgical resection for squamous cell carcinoma. Whenever required, the surgical resection of the malignant tumor may be complemented with conservative treatment (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc.), for which highly specialized doctors are responsible.

The department has a Cleft Lip and Palate Center, where specialists provide daily consultations for both adult patients and children with this congenital deformity. Surgery is the only effective method for cleft lip and palate repair. And what is more, it is important not to miss the time and to perform the surgical procedure at the optimal age to achieve the best functional and aesthetic outcomes. Cleft lip repair surgery is usually performed at 8-12 weeks of life, and the optimal age for cleft palate repair surgery is between the 9th and 15th months of the child's life. Depending on the specific clinical case, more than one surgical intervention may be required. The department's surgeons have a wealth of experience in cleft lip and palate repair surgery, so patients can count on a good treatment result.

The department also offers services in the field of dentoalveolar surgery. Procedures performed here include tooth extraction (including wisdom tooth extraction), tooth root removal, root apex resection, cyst removal, and dental implantation. Prior to any treatment, patients receive a comprehensive consultation, during which the attending physician answers all their questions of interest and describes the expected results of the upcoming treatment. As a rule, surgical dental procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. It is important for the department's doctors to provide each patient with effective treatment in the most comfortable conditions, so during dentoalveolar surgical interventions, high-quality anesthesia is used to eliminate pain syndrome.

The department's main clinical activities include:

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Surgical treatment of oral, facial, and neck tumors, including follow-up reconstructive plastic surgery
    • Oral squamous cell carcinoma
    • Basal cell skin cancer of the face
    • Squamous cell skin cancer of the face
    • Salivary gland cancer
    • Sarcomas
  • Surgical repair of cleft lip and palate, as well as other oral and maxillofacial defects in adults and children
  • Surgical treatment of the oral mucosal diseases
  • Surgical repair of dysgnathia (malocclusion)
  • Dentoalveolar surgery
    • Tooth extraction (including wisdom tooth extraction)
    • Tooth root removal
    • Root apex resection
    • Cyst removal
    • Dental implant placement, including bone augmentation
  • Surgical treatment of oral and maxillofacial injuries
    • Traumatic dental injuries
    • Oral and maxillofacial soft tissue injuries
    • Oral and maxillofacial fractures
  • Emergency medical care for facial skull fractures, face and neck abscesses, uncontrolled bleeding from the mouth and facial skull, and other life-threatening conditions
• Facial plastic reconstructive surgery
  • Microsurgical tissue transfer
  • Flap reconstructive plastic surgery
• Other surgical options