Dr. Severinac derives great personal satisfaction from using his surgical skills to help victims with congenital traumatic deformity. He devotes a sizable portion of his practice to reconstructive surgery. In addition, he does pro-bono missionary work, providing reconstructive surgery to people from our own community and poorer regions of the world that might not otherwise receive the treatment they need. Dr. Severinac is a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who completed additional fellowship training in the highly specialized area of craniofacial surgery. He finds particular joy in the cleft lip and palate work he does for children at the Children’s Craniofacial Center.

The Children’s Craniofacial Center
Dr. Severinac with Dr. Baron Whateley is the co-founder and co-director of the Children’s Craniofacial Center. The center specializes in a team approach to treating children with craniofacial abnormalities, such as cleft lip and palate from birth through adolescents. This team approach is crucial because children born with severe deformities require treatment from several medical specialties, including plastic surgery, pediatrics, dentistry, orthodontics, otolaryngology, and speech therapy.

Our team includes Dr. Severinac (plastic surgery), Dr. Whateley (orthodontics), Dr. John Shank (oral surgery), Dr. James Shupe (pediatric dentistry), Dr. Stephen Schreck (otolaryngology), Laura Hinen SSLP (speech therapy), and Cindy Leslie (nurse coordinator).

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Cleft Lip & Palate
Cleft lip and palate are the most common craniofacial deformities affecting newborns in the United States. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the problem affects approximately one in every 800 babies born. Cleft lip and cleft palate are associated birth defects and occur while the infant is still developing within the womb. Under normal conditions, the left and right sides of the upper lip and the roof of the mouth (palate) will meet and grow together within the early weeks of development. In the case of a cleft lip or palate, however, these two sections never fully meet. If the two lip sections fail to grow together, the result is a cleft lip. If the two portions of the roof do not meet, the result is a cleft palate. It is possible for a child to be born with a cleft of the lip, cleft palate, on one or both sides, in any combination.

The special children are followed in the Children’s Craniofacial Center at Carew Medical Park and Huntington Hospital. Laura Hinen, our speech therapist, watches the children closely for speech and hearing difficulties. Dr. Schreck directs ear care and realizes that all patients with cleft palates need ear tubes to drain the middle ear in order to avoid recurrent infections, hearing loss, and subsequent speech failure. (Unfortunately, many insurance companies don’t realize this, requiring some foot work for coverage). Dr. Shupe directs tooth hygiene and care which can be a challenge in these children.

Our surgical approach to treatment for cleft lip and palate is working from the inside out. The dental and facial bone structure is corrected with the Latham appliance placed shortly after birth by Dr. Whateley. This brings the palatal segment slowly together as the baby’s parents turn a screw in the appliance a small amount each day. After about two to three months, the appliance is removed and the gum line portion of the palate is repaired by Dr. Severinac. At about nine to 12 months, the remaining palate and lip are repaired by Dr. Severinac. Typically, most centers do no repair the gum line area and leave this open until early puberty. In these cases, the teeth will be severely misaligned and an operation to close the gum line with bone graft will be necessary. We obtain complete repair by around one year of age, giving the patient the best chance for normal speech and dental development. This is only possible with Dr. Whateley’s expertise with the Latham appliance in bringing the wide clefts together, and his keen knowledge of the dental and medical literature supporting his techniques.

During late childhood, a procedure to bring the upper jaw forward through distraction techniques is sometimes preformed by Dr. Shank. In cleft children, inadequate growth of the midface and upper jaw is often encountered. This distraction of the upper jaw and midface is only possible in our patients because of the relatively normal and intact gum line achieved through the above operations.

If you have a baby with a cleft or know someone that does, please call our office for the best available treatment. We love these special children.

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Cleft Lip Repair
In the case of a severe cleft in the lip – a full separation running from the lip to the nostrils – surgical repair is usually performed at about 10 weeks of age. During the procedure, Dr. Severinac makes incisions along either side of the separation between the lip and the nostril. He then folds the pink lip tissue lining of the cleft down, pulls the lip and skin tissue together, and stitches closed the opening. Cleft lip surgery restores both normal shape and muscle function to the lip. In addition, if any nostril deformity accompanies the cleft lip, this can also be repaired during the surgery or it can be performed at a later time. If you would like to discuss cleft lip repair for your child with Dr. Severinac, please contact our practice today to set up a consultation.

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Skin Tumor Treatment
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, skin cancer is now the most prevalent type of cancer in the United States. Primarily caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, skin cancer can appear anywhere on the body but most often develops on the head, face, or neck. The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, a slow-growing cancer that can begin as a pearly, white growth; squamous cell carcinoma, which often begins as a red, scaly, or crusty patch and can spread to other parts of the body; and malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer that frequently appears asymmetrical with mottled colors or ragged edges and spreads throughout the body if not caught quickly. Certain moles, especially large ones or those with mottled colors, also have the potential to become cancerous and need to be watched carefully for any change in appearance.

If you have developed an unusual growth on your skin, especially if it grows or changes size rapidly, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Plastic surgeons are skilled at removing skin growths while also maintaining function and a pleasing appearance. This can be especially important if the tumor is located on the face or another highly visible part of the body. If you would like to learn more about skin tumor treatment, please contact us today.

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Skin Cancer Reconstruction
While skin cancer surgery to remove tumors and cancerous lesions is critical to saving lives, it can sometimes leave patients with unfortunate scarring or disfigurement. This is particularly true in cases where extensive surgery has been performed in highly visible places, such as the face and head. Sometimes, surgery to treat skin cancer can result in permanent changes to prominent facial features like the nose, ears, or lips. Skin cancer reconstruction is an important means of restoring both function and esthetic appearance to those who have undergone skin cancer surgery. Plastic surgeons are able to utilize a variety of techniques, such as scar revision, skin grafts, and more complicated transfers of tissue flaps from other parts of the body, to reconstruct skin and facial features. In most cases, both function and appearance can be significantly improved. For more information on skin cancer reconstruction, please contact us today.

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Skull/Facial Bone Reconstruction
Reconstruction of the skull or facial bones is often called for in cases of congenital deformity or severe trauma to the face or head, such as can be caused by a serious automobile accident. Skull and facial reconstruction involves complex surgical procedures and intricate skill on the part of the surgeon. Dr. Severinac has extensive experience and training in working with craniofacial reconstruction. He works with each patient’s individual circumstances to design a program of treatment that will help restore functionality, balance, and a normal appearance. If you or someone you love has the need of a skilled and compassionate craniofacial reconstructive surgeon, please contact Indiana Plastic Surgery Center today for help.

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Hand Deformity Repair
In addition to hand injuries, congenital defects to the hand can also be treated surgically with great success. Often, this surgery can be performed at an early age, ensuring proper growth and functional development for the child. Common congenital hand deformities include syndactyly (fusion of one or more of the fingers) and additional, absent, or deformed fingers. Most congenital hand deformities can be treated surgically, resulting in significant improvement. If either you or your child has a congenital hand deformity, Dr. Severinac would be pleased to discuss your surgical options with you. Please contact us today for a consultation.

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Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome results when a nerve within a tunnel of small bones and ligament in the wrist and hand is pinched by repetitive movement such as working on an assembly line or working on a computer. If compression of this nerve continues, permanent damage can result. In early stages, this condition can be treated with night splinting, anti-inflammatory medication, and infrequently, steroid injection. If these conservative measures fail, then carpal tunnel release is indicated.

Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release is a less invasive surgical procedure for releasing the pressure on the nerve within the hand. Using an endoscope (a telescopic camera) inserted through a small incision (about one-quarter of an inch) in the wrist, Dr. Severinac is able to cut the ligament over the carpal tunnel and release the pressure on the nerve. Endoscopic surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome results in a much faster healing time than the open surgical technique. Dr. Severinac has preformed hundreds of these procedures for GM assembly line workers without a single complication. He also has preformed this procedure on surgical technicians, office workers, and homemakers. If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, don’t delay. Symptoms can become permanent if not treated. Please contact Indiana Plastic Surgery Center today.

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