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<a href="/sdmpubfiles/skullbase-1_large.jpg" rel="lightbox[group1][Area of the Skull Base]"><img title="Area of the Skull Base" class="imagecache-220" alt="Area of the Skull Base" src="/sdmpubfiles/skullbase-1.jpg"></a>
<br><div class="caption">Skull base with its complex of nerves.</div></div>
<p>Our otolaryngology–head and neck surgeons are active members of Stony Brook's <a href="http://neuro.stonybrookmedicine.edu/centers/skullbasesurgery" target="_blank"><strong>Skull Base Surgery Center</strong></a>, which offers state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment for skull base tumors — both benign and malignant tumors that form in the base of the skull where the head and neck meet.</p>
<p>In the past, surgery for conditions in this area was impossible because of the complexity and risks involved. However, advances in technology as well as surgical techniques now make it possible for a multidisciplinary surgical team to perform successful surgery.</p>
<p>The skull base surgery team brings together experts in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, neurosurgery, radiology, and anesthesiology, all of whom have extensive experience in treating patients with skull base disorders.</p><p> </p>
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<p>Our otolaryngology–head and neck surgeons are also members of the multidisciplinary team of the <a href="/surgery/patient-care/clinical/plastic-reconstructive-surgery/CPCF-Center"><strong>Stony Brook Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Center</strong></a>, dedicated to treating cleft palate and other congenital facial abnormalities.</p>
<p><a href="/surgery/patient-care/clinical/plastic-reconstructive-surgery/cleft-palate-center"><img width="200" height="133" title="Before and After Surgery at Stony Brook" class="alignleft" alt="Before and After Surgery at Stony Brook" src="/sdmpubfiles/before-and-after-200.jpg"></a>
The Stony Brook Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Center provides specialized multidisciplinary care for children of all ages born with cleft lip/palate and other defects affecting the head (cranium) and/or face.
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The birth of a child with a craniofacial abnormality can be a difficult time for family, friends, and relatives. Helping the family cope and plan for the future is the goal of the cleft lip/palate and craniofacial team at Stony Brook University Medical Center.</p>
<p>Our ENT specialists play an important role in the care of the child born with a cleft palate, because the child will have a difficult time clearing fluid out of the ears, especially after an ear infection.</p>
<p>Organized in 1984, the team has been a resource for care and support to the families of several hundred children from Suffolk and Nassau counties.</p>
