Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program

Children with facial differences can undergo a variety of procedures and therapies throughout their lifetime. Often, multiple specialists are required to provide comprehensive care. This can be both daunting and intimidating for patients and families. The Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program at Riley at IU Health streamlines your visits to the hospital so that multiple specialists can see your child, if necessary, and develop a unified plan of care. This approach limits your visits to the hospital while providing your child with a personalized plan designed to improve health and ensure quality of life.

Our multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial anomalies team includes board certified doctors, therapists and nurse specialists who are dedicated to caring for children with facial differences. We provide a comprehensive, personalized care plan so your child receives the most effective treatments and procedures.

Riley at IU Health has provided services to patients with facial anomalies since 1933. Our Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program was one of the first established in the U.S. and remains at the forefront of pediatric and facial reconstruction. We continue to define the standard of care for facial reconstruction by publishing our clinical outcomes, delivering lectures regionally, nationally and internationally and actively participating in national and international surgical societies.

Our physician specialists are faculty members of the Indiana University School of Medicine. Additionally, our craniofacial surgeons have completed a year of intensive training in reconstruction of the face and skull after achieving board certification in plastic surgery.

We have earned recognition as an affiliate with the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association because of our high level of training and staff expertise. Members of our faculty have held top leadership positions with the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons and have been recognized as Top Doctors by Indianapolis Monthly.

We have received national recognition for the development of Camp About Face, which is a week-long residential summer camp for children with facial anomalies, and the Camp About Face Leadership Academy, which is a companion program for youth ages 16-18.

Our staff members also raise awareness of cleft and craniofacial anomalies in the community by speaking to college classes, nonprofit organizations and other groups.