Children's Hospital Colorado
Craniofacial Program

Hemifacial Microsomia

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What is hemifacial microsomia?

Hemifacial microsomia is a condition that causes facial differences. The condition most commonly affects the shape of the ear and jaw, but also can affect eye, cheekbone and skull shape. The type and range of facial differences can vary from child to child.  

Other conditions that may be considered hemifacial microsomia include:

  • Craniofacial microsomia
  • First branchial arch syndrome and second branchial arch syndrome
  • Goldenhar syndrome
  • Oculo-auriculo-vertebral sequence

Hemifacial microsomia usually only affects the head and face physically and does not affect brain development. Sometimes it can also cause conductive hearing loss or sensorineural hearing loss.

Who gets hemifacial microsomia?

Hemifacial microsomia is a rare congenital (present at birth) craniofacial condition that occurs in 1 of about 4,300 newborn babies. It is rarely passed down through families. A parent with hemifacial microsomia has a 2% to 3% chance of passing the condition to their child.

Why choose Children’s Hospital Colorado for hemifacial microsomia diagnosis and treatment?

Diagnosing and treating your child’s hemifacial microsomia can involve several different specialists, including craniofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, pulmonologists, audiologists and radiologists. Children’s Hospital Colorado has all these experts under one roof, and they are all pediatric trained to treat children.

Our Craniofacial Program and Department of Pediatric Plastic Surgery provide some of the best treatment for hemifacial microsomia available. Our surgeons have extensive experience and have performed surgery for craniofacial conditions around the world.

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Get to know our pediatric experts.

Brooke French, MD

Brooke French, MD

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Kassie Montgomery, CPNP-PC

Kassie Montgomery, CPNP-PC

Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

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Stig Somme, MD

Stig Somme, MD

Surgery - Pediatric, Surgery

Corbett Wilkinson, MD

Corbett Wilkinson, MD

Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery - Pediatric