At NOLA Craniofacial, our pediatric surgeons are fathers first. We know what it means to care for a sick baby and, as one should expect of any craniofacial surgeon in Louisiana, we view ourselves as partners with parents, fostering the health, growth, and future happiness of our young patients.

Our goal, always, is to minimize the number of surgical interventions. We perform minimally-invasive procedures whenever possible. Always, we are mindful of the child’s growth potential—not just physical, but emotional, intellectual, and social growth as well.

Dr. Hugo St. Hilaire is a fellowship-trained craniofacial surgeon. He trained at Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland in Baltimore (one of the few programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). As a pediatric surgeon, he believes in coordinated care and recommends that parents of any child diagnosed with cleft lip and palate or other craniofacial defects seek the care of a team that has been certified by the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association (ACPA).

Read more about

Pediatric Craniofacial Surgeons in Louisiana

A pediatric surgeon is just one of the many specialists required to treat a child diagnosed or born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Indeed, your child will require ongoing care from a team of doctors working together.

Following surgical repair (according to well-defined protocols, as set forth by the ACPA), your team — comprised of specialists practiced in the care of children with craniofacial defects — will provide follow-up care annually until the child is 18 years-old.

Certification matters. The complex nature of craniofacial defects, including cleft lip and palate, demands proper sequencing of evaluations and treatments according to the specialized needs of the child—keeping in mind childhood development of speech, hearing, cognition, and the child’s social and psycho-social well-being.

Our team works at both Children’s Hospital in New Orleans and at LSU Health, where Dr. Hugo St. Hilaire is Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Click here to find a certified cleft and craniofacial team near you.