The Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Oral Surgery at CHOP conducts research spanning a variety of areas, using the experience of a multidisciplinary team to both learn more about conditions and improve the quality of life for the children we care for. The Division has been a leader in pediatric plastic surgery research for decades. In addition, we benefit from collaborating with the research lab of the University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Plastic Surgery.

Center for Craniofacial Innovation

The Center for Craniofacial Innovation uses the latest findings in genomics, gene editing and cell therapy to advance the diagnosis and treatment of craniofacial conditions. Through collaboration, our goal is to gain a fundamental understanding of craniofacial development and fuel breakthroughs in the treatment of craniofacial conditions.

Clinical Research

Clinical research is an essential part of our Division’s mission. Our researchers conduct a wide variety of projects. Some of the topics we investigate include the outcomes and long-term results of surgical procedures; cutting-edge treatments using new devices and techniques; and the psychosocial development of children with facial and body differences. Additionally, we strive to understand the patient and family experience, looking to always improve the delivery of education and care. Some of the active projects within the Division include:

• Clinical outcomes in cleft lip and palate surgery
• Clinical outcomes in craniofacial surgery
• Investigation of the underlying genetics of congenital cleft and craniofacial conditions (this involves collecting biospecimens from patients) 
• The development of bone-selective MRI technology, a method of non-radiative skull imaging
• Using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to predict increased intracranial pressure
• Evaluating patient and parent responses to breast and chest wall conditions and their treatment
• Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: the structure of the palate and surgical outcomes

Our Division also collaborates with other children’s hospitals, both nationally and internationally, to increase the impact of our shared research efforts. Some of these prospective studies include:

• Craniofacial microsomia: Accelerating Understanding of the Significance and Etiology (CAUSE)
  • A multi-center effort to identify the genetic variants related to the craniofacial microsomia (CFM) spectrum and to characterize detailed phenotypes of individuals with CFM
  • Additionally, the project aims to generate a bank of data and specimens that can be used for future research.
• A comparative effectiveness study of speech and surgical treatments using a Cleft Palate Registry/Research Outcomes Network (CORNET)
  • A multi-center effort to compare clinician-rated speech outcomes, caregiver reported quality of life, and other measures between two common cleft repair techniques

Family-Friendly Summaries of Our Research Highlights

Patients and families are the driving force behind all our research efforts. We conduct research to improve the care we provide patients, and in turn, our patients inspire us to find the next game-changing discovery. Read about a few of our impactful research studies, including why we examined each topic and what we learned.

• Midface Surgery and Breathing in Children
• Combining Skull Expansion and Chiari Decompression in One Surgery
• Forehead Surgery for Metopic Craniosynostosis: Comparing Two Approaches

Quality Improvement Initiatives

Clinical research is not the only way our Division strives to improve patient care. Here are some other ways we are advancing medical treatment.

• Reducing Opioid Use in Children with Cleft Protocol (ROCC): A multidisciplinary quality-improvement effort to reduce opioid use in patients undergoing cleft surgery.
• Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol for Cranial Vault Reconstruction: A multidisciplinary quality-improvement project designed to evaluate hospital care following craniofacial surgery and to optimize recovery.
• Reduction of Narcotic Pain Medication Use in Post-Operative Pain Management Following Ambulatory Surgical Procedures: A multidisciplinary quality-improvement effort to reduce opioid use in patients undergoing low-risk outpatient surgeries.
• Psychosocial Preparation for Iliac Bone Graft Surgery in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate: A quality-improvement project to determine if psychoeducational efforts improve the understanding of, preparation for, and quality of experiences with bone graft surgery and the subsequent hospitalization and recovery.

Fellowship

Clinical Research Fellows in the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Oral Surgery are a key component to the success of our program. Find out more information on Fellowship and past and current program fellows.