P SURGERY AT RADY CHILDREN’S Pediatric plastic surgeons use their medical magic to make life-changing differences in kids and teens with a wide range of craniofacial conditions, disorders and traumatic injuries.
trauma center, we also do a lot of trauma surgeries, both treating the actual trauma itself and assisting general surgeons,” Dr. Hinchcliff says. Under the leadership of Dr. Gosman, the Division of Plastic Surgery also places a high priority on research. In the area of cleft lip and palate surgery, Dr. Gosman continues to investigate new techniques, such as the use of bone graft alternatives for the early primary repair of alveolar clefts. She is also the principal investigator for an American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons grant to evaluate new and safer imaging exams for children under age 5 who are being treated for cleft lip and palate. The division also trains the next generation of pediatric plastic surgeons through its fellowship program, which has successfully been integrated with its research endeavors. “We are a small division, but we play an interesting and interactive role in the hospital beyond the congenital work we do,” Dr. Hinchcliff adds. “We all have our primary interests and skillsets, and we leverage those to meet the needs of the Hospital and our patients.”
The Division of Plastic Surgery at Rady Children’s is internationally recognized for its expertise in treating complex craniofacial disorders, as well as functional problems with the jaw and airway. The highly experienced team performs more than 1,000 procedures a year and treats a range of conditions, including cleft lip and palate, vascular lesions, craniosynostosis (a congenital defect that prevents normal skull and brain growth), and disorders of the hand and upper extremities. The team also performs plastic surgery for the ears and nose, reconstructive surgery following the removal of cancerous tumors and corrective surgery for sleep apnea. Rady Children’s plastic surgery division includes four physicians: division chief Amanda Gosman, MD; Ralph E. Holmes, MD; Melissa Kanack, MD; and Kate Hinchcliff, MD. They are able to perform cleft lip, cleft palate and congenital facial surgeries, and can handle lumps, bumps and general plastic surgery cases. Dr. Hinchcliff is also trained in pediatric hand surgery and primarily
treats congenital hand differences and hand trauma. The division’s doctors are supported by two physician assistants and a number of nurses.
“While our mission is to treat as many congenital defects as we can— both craniofacial and hand—because Rady Children’s is a Level 1
The highly experienced team performs more than 1,000 procedures a year and treats a range of conditions, including cleft lip and palate, vascular lesions, craniosynostosis and disorders of the hand and upper extremities.
WINTER 2023 HEALTHY KIDS MAGAZINE 15
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