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A cleft nose is a form of a facial cleft or malformation of part of the face. This is a rare congenital abnormality and usually occurs with the presence of other facial abnormalities such as a cleft lip treatment or cleft palate treatment.

The cause of facial clefts is unclear but it is felt that intake of folic acid when attempting to become pregnant and during pregnancy may contribute to a lower risk of a child being born with one of these facial abnormalities.

There are multiple theories as to the cause of a cleft nose including:

  • It is possible nose clefts are caused by a disorder in the migration of neural crest cells, which are specialized cells in the early stages of embryonic development.
  • Nose clefts may be caused by failure of the fusion process with inward growth of the mesoderm, the middle layer of an embryo, in early development.
  • A third theory is that genetics play a part in the development of facial clefts.
  • It is also felt that nose clefts may have an origin in the amniotic bands, which may interfere with normal embryonic development by encircling and constricting growth of parts of the baby’s body.
  • Cleft noses may have an origin from a combination of these factors.

The main treatment goal of a cleft nose surgery abnormality is to reconstruct the nose to ensure functionality as well as obtain a more aesthetically acceptable appearance.

This can be accomplished by reconstructing the nasal dorsum (bridge of the nose) with the use of a graft. Ala (wing of the nose) reconstruction often necessitates the insertion of a cartilage graft commonly harvested from the ear. When treatment is performed at an early age, a second operation may be necessary.

Depending on the extent of the deformity, a number of different procedures may initially be required to assist the child’s breathing and improve appearance as well as follow up surgical treatments as the child grows and the nose develops.

Dr. Yael Halaas is a Facial Plastic Surgeon and a member of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology, which specializes in ear, nose, and throat conditions and procedures.

Located in New York City and licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey, Dr. Halaas is acknowledged as one of the top 10 surgeons in her field in New York City. Her focus is on patient comfort and effective and satisfying outcomes. Her experience and expertise enable her to respond well to the needs of her patients and they describe her as a kind and caring person.

If you were born with a facial deformity such as a cleft nose, please contact Dr. Halaas for a consultation. She will examine the extent of the deformity, determine the best possible course of action and utilize state-of-the-art techniques to restore functionality and create a more pleasing appearance to the nose.

Written by Dr. Halaas

COVID-19 Safety Measures

We understand that there may be times when you miss an appointment due to emergencies or obligations for work and family.

However, due to Covid 19. and the current CDC guidelines, we are implementing a new ” no exceptions” cancellation/no show/rescheduling policy effective September 1, 2020.

If any appointment is cancelled or RESCHEDULED less than 24 hours in advance you will be charged a fee of $100. This policy will be in place until further notice and applies to new AND existing clients We apologize for any inconvenience but look forward to getting through this difficult time together.

At Dr. Halaas office, we take our staff’s and patients’ health very seriously. We are implementing safety measures to ensure everyone who comes through our doors will experience the highest level of care and the lowest risk levels.

Safety of our Employees

Each day we are taking our employees temperatures and going over a questionnaire to make sure we are all in the best of health. If anyone has a temperature over 100.4, or has fever, sore throat, chills, loss of taste, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pains, or headache, they will be asked to leave and go see their primary care doctor, or go get tested.

If an employee has been in contact with someone with Covid, we will ask them to get themselves tested, or they will have to quarantine themselves for two weeks.

We have installed a sneeze guard at our front counter for the safety of both our employees and our patients.

Safety of our Patients

Patients must sign up for our patient portal before coming to their appointment

  • Information to get into the portal will be emailed immediately after making an appointment
  • Information to be completed will be medical history as well as a Covid questionnaire
  • Covid questionnaire must be completed for EVERY visit patient makes until further notice
  • We also have a patient app, MyPatientVisit, that we can communicate with the patient when we are ready to see them

All patients must wear masks to their appointment.

We ask patients to come to their appointment alone. Minors may be accompanied by an adult.

Temperature will be taken at the door.

  • If they have a temperature over 100.4 they will be rescheduled and asked to go see their primary care doctor

Once patient has been cleared, we will escort them to their suite where they will be treated.
We have removed water and snacks from our waiting area, as well as all pamphlets regarding services.

Each room will be thoroughly disinfected in between patients
We encourage telehealth consults beforehand, so we can make a plan for when patients do come into office.

Written by Dr. Halaas

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