Prof. Sailer explains (in German)Craniofacial malformations
Intrauterine splitting of the face through a so-called amniotic band.
Intermediate view after several operations by Prof. Sailer at the age of 8 years.
Intermediate view after several operations by Prof. Sailer at the age of 15 years. The far reaching symmetrisation and normalisation of form and functions is done after the growth is complete, at about 18 years. Prof. Sailer: “I assure you that I will make a good looking young man out of him.”
Prof. Sailer's wide range of treatments in facial surgery not only includes aesthetic surgery, but mainly also large reconstructive surgery even in the most varied of congenital and acquired diseases. This includes reconstructive surgeries in the event of tumours and accident, surgery to correct extreme malformations, primary and secondary cleft lip and palate surgeries as well as surgery on the anterior cranial base.
Surgery for correcting malformations
Congenital malformations (like facial and jaw clefts and so-called syndromes), or those that occur only during the later stages of facial development are corrected through complex surgical intervention.
Primary and secondary cleft surgery
The cleft lip and palate, which Prof. Sailer has operated on both at his clinic as well as in India using the Zurich Protocol that he has also contributed to, also fall under the domain of malformation surgery.
Secondary cleft surgery, i. e. the correction of growth disorders after the operation of left palate and lips is given a lot of importance at the clinic. In these patients, the jaw has to be repositioned optimally and additional corrections performed on the soft tissue of the lips and nose. Without these functional and aesthetic measures, these patients cannot be fully integrated socially and will not stand much chance in their private and professional development.
Surgery of the anterior base of the skull
In the domain of surgery on the anterior base of the skull, the most severe malformations are encountered, as also patients with fractures in the skull base following accidents as well as tumours in the region of the front skull base.
Prof. Sailer has more than 20 years of experience in performing surgery on the front skull base in the case of malformation syndromes (hypertelorism, Morbus Crouzon and craniosynostoses), accidents and tumours. In several cases these benign and malignant tumours grow from the region of the eye cavity, the paranasal sinuses or the upper jaw into the base of the skull. Prof. Sailer has developed methods for eliminating the diseases mentioned above, without making any incisions that are visible on the outside, and without disfiguring the face, e. g. the method of Multiple Craniofacial Access Surgery. As an example, we show here a patient with a severe malformation of the skull base, in which the distance between the eyes is extremely large (hypertelorism) and in addition to this, with several cleft formations in the face.
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Before: Severe craniofacial deformation of the skull, the skull base, the eye cavities and the face through premature closing of the developmental joints of the skull.
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Before: Result after the operation on the skull base, the forehead and the right eye socket (orbit) in early childhood by Prof. Sailer.
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After: Attractive end result after several operations in the region of the jaw and face and on the nose for correcting complex asymmetries.
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After: Prof. Sailer: “The restoration of symmetry in a case of pronounced facial asymmetry is a challenge even to the experienced facial surgeon. Perfect symmetry like in the case of a Greek statue is not possible, and not desirable either.”
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Before: Complex craniofacial malformation with extremely wide set eyes, changes to the front skull base, several facial clefts (operated on earlier elsewhere).
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After: Result after operating on the skull base with rotation of the eye sockets (orbits) towards the centre to reduce and normalise the distance between the eyes as well as nose reduction and lip re-operations. The patient looks normal and attractive and is very successful in her personal and professional life.
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Before: Complex craniofacial malformation with multiple facial clefts, wide set eyes (hypertelorism), aplasia of the left lower jaw and the maxillary joint with on the whole extreme facial asymmetry.
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After: Result after a 21-hour long operation for functional and aesthetic rehabilitation.
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After: Prof. Sailer: “The operations have given the patient a new life and sense of self worth.”
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Before: 16-year old patient with complex craniofacial malformation (Dysostotis craniofacialis). The picture shows a severely receding middle face, the short eye sockets with extremely protruding eyes, protruding lower jaw, short nose, etc.
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After: In an operation lasting 14 hours, Prof. Sailer advanced the middle face (combined Le-Fort-III and Le-Fort-I Operation, relocation of the eye, reconstruction of the inner and outer nose, etc.) and normalised the appearance.
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After: The patient after 4 months with Prof. Sailer during a control check up. The girl is now studying successfully at a college.
