The area of expertise covers all craniofacial anomalies in pediatrics age. The team consists of: neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neurology, neurophysiology, pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, anesthesiology, speech therapy, physiatrists, genetics, prenatal diagnostics, ENT, ophthalmology, maxillo facial specialist and plastic surgeon. The
team members participate in the Italian and European Society of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery in developing common guidelines and standards of care.
The ENT Department deals with diagnosis and care of microtia, craniofacial microsomia, neurofibromatosis, genetic or isolated hearing loss and other congenital rino-laryngo-tracheal anomalies. The ENT assessment evaluate speech, hearing and swallowing in co-operation with maxillo-facial specialist, oftalmologist, dentistry, geneticist. Funtional profiles of all patients are studied in order to plan the rehabilitative intervention and periodic follow up of the outcomes. Neurocognitive study is provided in a combined follow-up in cooperation with the Clinical Psychology Department of Padua University.
The particular expertise of ENT consists in diagnosis and treatment of pediatric hearing impairment by means of an early diagnosis and application of hearing devices. ENT is indeed the reference center for cochlear implant intervention in children aged under 18 months.
The ENT dept is also equipped with advanced instrumentation for assessment in non-cooperative children (aided cortical potentials). The surgical treatment of the neurofibromatosis is conducted with hearing preservation when possible, or with the presevartion of the nerve also followed by cochlear implant during the surgical session. Advanced instrumentation for surgery is available for both cochlear implant in malformated ears and for neurofibromatosis surgery (electrophysiological monitoring of cranial nerve and neuronavigator). Malformative conditions are studied collegially. The ENT department allows multidisciplinary assessment of complex malformations, with a full specialistic evaluation performed twice a month, where all specialists are present simultaneously and evaluate the cases together. The diagnostic neuroradiologic tools (3T MRI and CT with 1 anesthesia) are dedicated to patients with complex congenital anomalies once a week.
In any case, patients with heterogenous anatomic and functional disorders as in Charges., Goldenhar s., Treacher Collins s., receive a personalized treatment program oriented to a full expression of their individual potentials.