An important mission of the Center for Facial Reconstruction and Facial Nerve Disorders is developing surgical and clinical advances through our multidisciplinary research efforts. Our team of experts are dedicated to new research findings that will lead to improved and advanced surgical techniques and outcomes for our facial reconstructive patients.

Research Areas

Areas of major clinical research include:

  • Novel surgical techniques for early intervention for “rescue” of osteoradionecrosis.
  • Shorter length of hospitalizations.
  • Minimal access approaches for revascularization.
  • Advances in orbital palatomaxillary reconstruction (cheek, palate and eye socket).
  • Novel techniques in partial and total nasal reconstruction.
  • Innovative free tissue harvest donor sites with improved morbidities.
  • Surgical quality improvement utilizing surgical risk calculators to predict the likelihood of specific outcomes after head and neck reconstruction.
  • Clinical trial investigating a novel multi-modal, opioid-sparing perioperative analgesia regimen to improve postoperative pain management and decrease opioid consumption.
  • Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) – standardized, evidence-based perioperative protocols to optimize perioperative care of our patients.
  • Functional outcomes and quality of life outcomes research for facial reconstruction patients utilizing patient-reported outcomes questionnaires.