Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) is a disorder in which a baby is born with a small lower jaw (mandible), causing the tongue to fall back into the mouth and blocking the airway, which may lead to difficulty breathing.
Before & After
This 16-year-old patient of Dr. Wornom was born with Pierre Robin Sequence, which included a cleft palate and a small jaw. He had trouble breathing and eating during infancy and required a tracheostomy and feeding tube as a baby. Dr. Wornom cared for him through this and repaired his cleft palate. At age 2 he underwent distraction osteogenesis of his lower jaw, a procedure which moved the jaw forward, which successfully led to removal of his tracheostomy, and he was able to begin eating and no longer needed a feeding tube. He continued to grow with speech therapy and orthodontic care, and is able to talk normally now, is doing well in school, and enjoys hunting and fishing.
These pictures show him pre and post op after his most recent surgery for his persistent small jaw and chin. Dr. Wornom moved his chin bone forward by cutting the bone and sliding it forward and fixing it there through an incision in his mouth. This procedure also helped his sleep apnea. After a long journey over 16 years it is unlikely he will need any additional surgery.
This patient demonstrates the importance of long-term team care for complex problems which present in infancy. Here at Richmond Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Wornom and Dr. Aboutanos, along with the cleft and craniofacial team at St. Mary’s Hospital provides this care to many children.
