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Hemifacial Microsomia

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When you learn one side of your baby’s face didn’t fully develop, a lot of things may cross your mind. What’s their life going to be like? Will they be OK?

Hemifacial microsomia can make it hard for your child to eat, see, breathe and hear, among other things. Kids with this condition often need care into early adulthood. The good news is they can live a long, productive life with a personalized treatment plan. Not to mention a lot of love and support.

You’ll want the best team by your side to help your child move through treatment. Our expert head and neck team is here to do just that. We make sure they have the most skilled and compassionate care and support. No matter what their age or stage of life.

Why Choose Us for Hemifacial Microsomia Care?

Skilled collaborative providers:

Cleveland Clinic Children’s providers treat a wide range of complex conditions, including hemifacial microsomia. Your child’s care team of providers from different specialties meets regularly. They go over your child’s progress, next steps and changes to their treatment plan. And they always keep you up to date.

Caring approach:

We encourage families to take an active part in their child’s care plan. You’re important to them. So, we want you to feel comfortable asking questions and sharing concerns. And don’t hesitate to let us know how we can meet your needs — and your child’s.

Patient-centered care:

We’re here for your child as soon as they enter the world. We get to know you and them. And we know what it takes to care for kids with complex conditions like hemifacial microsomia. Our team offers the highest level of care that keeps your child at the center of everything. Meet our team.

Virtual visits:

You don’t always need to get your child ready and out the door for an in-person appointment. Cleveland Clinic Children’s offers convenient virtual visits for check-ins and follow-ups.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic Children’s is a trusted healthcare leader. We’re recognized throughout the U.S. for our expertise and care.

Diagnosing Hemifacial Microsomia at Cleveland Clinic Children’s

You may hear hemifacial microsomia or Goldenhar syndrome called other names. Your providers may call it craniofacial microsomia, oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum and oculoauricular dysplasia.

But they all mean the same thing. And it affects your child’s eyes, cheekbones, facial nerves and muscles, lower jaw and neck on one side of their face. Sometimes, it can also affect their spine. This congenital (born with it) condition can cause symptoms like:

Abnormal positioning or missing portions of their ear.
Missing eye.
Inability to close an eye.
Vision problems.
Noncancerous growths (epibulbar dermoid cysts).
Flattened forehead or cheek.
Facial paralysis.
Uneven smile.
Cleft lip or palate.
Breathing problems or obstructive sleep apnea.
Extra or missing teeth.
Misaligned jaw (malocclusion).

Sometimes, we can diagnose hemifacial microsomia before birth using ultrasound in pregnancy. But, often, we might not see it until after birth. And then we quickly work to find out how it’s affecting your baby by doing different tests.

Some things to expect during testing

We’ll give your child a physical exam and then order imaging tests. We’ll look at their bone, tissue and muscle development. And we also check out their organs, ears and eyes with tests like:

We may also do genetic testing to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. Once we have all the test results, we create a treatment plan that focuses on your child’s needs and unique diagnosis.

Meet Our Pediatric Hemifacial Microsomia Team

Complex conditions like hemifacial microsomia often require working with different providers from different specialties. And no two cases are alike. This means your child will have a care team handpicked for their needs, like:

Pediatricians.
Pediatric otolaryngologists.
Pediatric ophthalmologists.
Pediatric radiologists.
Pediatric plastic surgeons.
Pediatric gastroenterologists.
Pediatric cardiologists.
Pediatric dentists.
Pediatric maxillofacial surgery.
Pediatric orthodontics specialists.
Pediatric speech-language pathologists.
Pediatric audiologists.
Child life specialists.
Child psychologists.
Pediatric dietitians.

Providers who treat Hemifacial Microsomia

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients in Northeast Ohio.

Treating Hemifacial Microsomia at Cleveland Clinic Children’s

No two children with hemifacial microsomia need the exact same treatment. Their treatment plan depends on what symptoms they have.

Immediately after birth, your child may need a tracheostomy to help them breathe. Or they might need tube feeding for a while if they can’t nurse. Ongoing care in childhood and adolescence is also likely. And most kids with this condition will need several surgeries and treatments like:

Craniofacial, maxillofacial and dental treatment

We can repair your child’s jaw and teeth by:

Moving their upper or lower jawline forward to improve alignment.
Creating a wider jaw to help their mouth work better.
Using artificial devices or rib tissue to create missing jaw sections.
Repairing cleft lip and palate.
Removing teeth to fix overcrowding or alignment.
Adding dental implants to replace missing teeth.
Putting on braces or other teeth straightening devices.

Ear treatments

Pediatric otolaryngology providers can:

Place a hearing device called a cochlear implant in your child’s ear.
Reconstruct a missing ear.
Improve ear appearance.

For mild hearing loss, we may fit your child for hearing aids.

Eye surgery

If hemifacial microsomia has affected your child’s eyes, we may:

Create a new eye socket for an artificial eye.
Enlarge a too-small socket or reposition eyelids.
Remove noncancerous (benign) growths.

Plastic surgery

Our pediatric plastic surgeons can help enhance features like facial symmetry and movement. They use soft tissue and bone reconstruction and facial reanimation surgery.

Other treatments

Your child may need speech therapy to help with swallowing and speaking. Our team of pediatric speech-language pathologists (SLPs) uses games and play-based therapy during sessions. This engages your child and keeps them interested.

Hemifacial microsomia can be stressful for your child — and your family. Our child life specialists are here to help your child feel more comfortable with each step. And we offer individual and family counseling to address mental and emotional wellness.

Taking the Next Step

As you and your child navigate treatment for hemifacial microsomia, you won’t have to do it alone. You have a whole Cleveland Clinic Children’s team to help. Using the latest treatments, our skilled, caring pediatric providers focus on helping your child, for as long as they need.