Plastic Surgery Center
Innovations

Benefiting from the technology, staff, access to research and equipment available only in a tertiary care environment, Texas Children’s Plastic Surgery Center has distinguished itself by setting new standards in the field. The center has pioneered a number of important breakthroughs, such as pioneering the first use of tissue expanders to make possible the separation of conjoined twins, and conducting the world’s first parent-to-child nerve transplant operation.

From free-tissue transfer to using resorbing plates or bone-mimicking materials to heal bone, and from distraction osteogenesis to innovations in microsurgery, leading-edge techniques have replaced many conventional surgical procedures at Texas Children’s Hospital. These advanced techniques are transforming the surgical process by allowing shorter surgical times and fewer follow-ups, as well as less impact on the body and better success rates.

Advancements in microsurgery
Children who require free-tissue transfer to rebuild skin, muscle, nerve or bone damaged by injury or tumor excision may now be treated with highly specialized reconstructive microsurgery. Microsurgical procedures can create a cover for complex wounds resulting from a child’s burns, orthopedic injuries, amputation or replantation of extremities.

Other state-of-the-art microsurgery techniques include nerve repair, nerve and muscle transfer, and microsurgical and nerve transplantation for the treatment of children suffering from facial nerve paralysis or injury.

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