Department of Adult and Pediatric Oral, Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery - St. Lukas Clinic Solingen

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Oral, Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery at St. Lukas Clinic Solingen

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Oral, Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery at the St. Lukas Clinic Solingen offers the full range of services in these medical fields and specializes in the surgical treatment of diseases of the skin and bones, soft tissues of the head, as well as teeth and oral cavity. One of the key focuses of the medical facility is the treatment of cancer and precancerous conditions of the oral cavity, facial skeleton and facial skin. The department is also highly professional in providing medical care to young patients with malformations, including cleft lip and palate, skull anomalies in newborns and young children. In addition, the department houses a highly specialized Center for Rare Oral and Maxillofacial Defects, whose specialists cooperate closely with doctors from the University Hospital Cologne. When performing operations, the department's specialists always take into account two important aspects: the required extent of the medical intervention and the appearance of the patient after the operation. Many surgical interventions are performed on an outpatient basis, which allows the patient to leave the medical facility immediately upon the completion of the operation. The department is headed by PD Dr. med. Dr. dent. Markus Martini.

The department specializes in the diagnostics and treatment of cancer and precancerous conditions of the oral cavity, facial skeleton and facial skin. Thanks to the use of modern surgical techniques, in many cases, surgeons manage not only to remove malignant neoplasms, but also to restore the bone structures of the skull (as a rule, donor tissue is taken from the iliac crest). Surgical treatment is often supplemented by conservative treatment methods: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and others.

An important focus of the department's work is the surgical treatment of congenital pathologies, in particular, cleft lip, jaw and palate in children. Cleft lip and/or palate can adversely affect appearance, breathing, speech and hearing, and therefore requires prompt repair. The optimal solution is an operation in early childhood, which allows the child to completely restore the integrity of the bones and leaves an almost imperceptible scar. After the surgical repair of the cleft lip, jaw and palate, a professional speech therapist works with the child for a long time, whose task is to ensure the normal development of the speech apparatus.

The department's facial plastic surgeons successfully perform scar revision, as well as eliminate defects after injuries and accidents. Such defects create psychological problems, lower the patient's self-esteem, and also increase the risk of developing health problems in the future. Facial reconstructive surgery helps patients regain self-confidence and get rid of functional disorders: problems with swallowing, chewing, speech, etc.

The focus of orthognathic surgeons is on the repair of jaw anomalies. In case of jaw anomalies, orthodontic treatment is not only recommended for aesthetic reasons, since a malocclusion can lead to chewing and speech disorders. When performing surgical repair, doctors make incisions inside the oral cavity, which avoids visible scars. The surgeon performs all the manipulations through small incisions and puts the jawbone in an anatomically correct position, so the jaw – depending on the anomaly – can be shifted forward or backward.

The department's range of services is complemented by classic dental surgical procedures, including wisdom tooth extraction, root apex resection, cyst treatment or periodontal surgery. In addition, the department's experienced implantologists offer professional dental implant placement.

The department's main clinical activities include:

• Surgical treatment of cancer and precancerous conditions of the oral cavity, facial skeleton and facial skin
• Surgical treatment of diseases of the skin and bones, as well as soft tissues of the head, teeth and oral cavity
• Surgical repair of congenital defects, in particular cleft lip, jaw and palate in newborns and young children
• Surgical treatment of Pierre Robin sequence, craniosynostosis, rare congenital maxillofacial and cranial malformations
• Surgical repair of jaw malpositions (orthodontic surgery)
• Treatment of oral and maxillofacial injuries, facial plastic reconstructive surgery 
• Diagnostics and treatment of inflammatory oral and maxillofacial diseases, dysfunction and pain
• Dental implantology, including bone augmentation in complex cases
• Dentoalveolar surgery: wisdom tooth extraction, root apex resection, cyst treatment, etc.
• Other medical services