Surgeons Correct Eye Structure of Baby Born with Rare Facial Cleft
Posted Under: Doctors
Surgeons Correct Eye Structure of Baby Born with Rare Facial Cleft
Dr. Sacha Obaid, North Texas Plastic Surgeon and Craniofacial Surgeon, successfully completed the surgery to help rebuild the eye structure of ten-month-old.
Southlake, Texas August 31, 2009 — Dr. Sacha Obaid, North Texas Plastic Surgeon and Craniofacial Surgeon, successfully completed the surgery to help rebuild the eye structure of ten-month-old John Tre “JT” Barbour, on August 14, at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. The three hour surgery is the second of many corrective operations Dr. Obaid’s team has planned for J.T. before he turns five.
JT was born with a rare facial anomaly, called a Bilateral Tessier #4 Facial Cleft, that has been diagnosed in only four other children in the world. He was born with a face that was separated into three pieces with skin, fat, and muscle missing from his lips, cheeks, eyelids, eyes and missing bones in his upper jaw, cheeks, and around his eyes.
During the surgery, Dr. Obaid and Dr. Matthew Hammons, removed JT’s underdeveloped eyes and placed prostheses that will overtime expand the bone around JT’s eyes and the overlying eyelids. This combination will ultimately allow for permanent prostheses to be made that will make it difficult to detect that JT does not have eyes.
This surgery follows a total facial reconstruction performed in May to rebuild JT’s lips, cheeks, and eyelids. A third surgery this year is planned for November to recreate the roof of JT’s mouth, the goal of which will be to allow JT to be able to eat and speak normally.
“JT is recovering well from the surgery,” says Dr. Obaid, medical director of North Texas Plastic Surgery, www.northtexasplasticsurgery.com “We want to give him, and his parents, a chance to rest in between the series of surgeries to ensure the most successful outcome.”
JT was released from the hospital on August 15, and is recovering at home, just outside of Waco, Texas, with his mother, Katie Barbour, and father, John Laura.
About North Texas Plastic Surgery
North Texas Plastic Surgery was founded by Dr. Sacha Obaid, a Harvard Medical School educated, board-certified plastic surgeon, who commits his talents to craniofacial reconstruction for children afflicted with cleft lip and cleft palate, victims of facial trauma, as well as other facial differences.
Dr. Obaid also specializes in mommy makeovers, rhinoplasty, facial rejuvenation, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and liposuction.
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Originally posted. August 31, 2009
