Cranio Facial Unit
The Cranio Facial Team
What is a Craniofacial Disorder?
A craniofacial disorders are complex conditions affecting the soft tissues or bones of the face and/or the head. These include congenital conditions such as premature fusion of the skull sutures and other anomalies, or acquired conditions such as trauma or tumours. Abnormal growth patterns from all of these conditions may result in disfigurement and functional impairment.
The needs of patients with these conditions are very complex and for that reason, there are 4 dedicated centrally funded NHS teams in
Our team has a history dating back to the 1980’s when a paediatric surgeon named Roger Cudmore started providing craniosynostosis surgery at Alder Hey in collaboration with colleagues from the Maxillofacial department at Aintree. In 1991, the team was joined by Paul May, a consultant neurosurgeon who founded the paediatric neurosurgery unit at Alder Hey. Paul May and his colleagues expanded the team and the service to the extent that in 1997, the Merseyside Supra Regional Craniofacial Unit was designated by the Department of Health as a provider of treatment for complex craniofacial conditions.
Since then, the team has grown and the number of conditions which it manages and the complexity of treatments which it can offer have increased. We have a fully integrated multidisciplinary team which includes neurosurgeons, maxillofacial surgeons and plastic surgeons supported by specialist anaesthetists and radiologists. Allied surgical specialties are also key team members and these include ophthalmic surgeons, ENT surgeons and orthodontists. The team works closely with respiratory physicians, geneticists, speech and language therapists and psychologists. Patient support is provided by specialist nurses and a coordinator and it is a standard that all patients are provided with contact details for support groups such as Headlines. Our department attracts and trains international trainees who come to the unit from all over the world and take the excellence of the service which we provide back to their home nations.
Today, the craniofacial unit is among the busiest in the world and our surgeons have a world class reputation. The service is supported by one of the most advanced neuroscience facilities in Europe which includes the
Contact the Cranio Facial Unit
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Eaton Road
Tel: 0151 252 5025
Fax: 0151 252 5018
