Hemifacial microsomia

How will my child's hemifacial microsomia be treated?

Specific treatment for HFM is extremely variable because there are so many differences in the types of HFM. If a doctor suspects that your child has HFM, you make an appointment with a craniofacial anomalies team. Each of the specialists will have a proposed treatment plan depending on the severity of your child's specific physical findings.

After a diagnostic evaluation and meeting with a craniofacial team, the following treatment options may be discussed:

• For severe underdevelopment of the lower jaw, reconstruction using a bone graft taken from the ribs may be suggested.
• Another possibility to lengthen the underdeveloped jaw would be to place a device on the jaw for bone distraction. This technique avoids the need for bone grafts.
• The external ear is usually reconstructed between the ages of six to eight years. This is a multiple stage process with several months between each surgery.
• Further surgery in the soft tissue of the cheek to increase symmetry, or possibly jaw surgery, may be needed when your child reaches adolescence.