Wellness, revolutionized. - Children's Hospital Central California

The more
specialized we
get in healthcare
the more
multidisciplinary
we need to be.
Complex problems
need more than
one expert.
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Dr. Peter Witt - pictured here and performing
surgery on the opposite page - leads a team
of pediatric plastic surgeons that offers kids
procedures that improve their lives in ways
you may never have imagined.
A better team for
a better life.
No one likes to be teased. Yet children
suffering from a cleft lip and/or cleft
palate are often mocked for the shape of
their mouth, protruding teeth and unclear
speech. Compounded with other health
issues like hearing loss, respiratory and
psychosocial problems, the visible disfigurement
can be devastating for a child’s
development and self-esteem.
Dr. Peter Witt, medical director of
Children’s Department of Pediatric Plastic
Surgery, strongly supports what research
shows – patients receiving comprehensive
team care have the best chance
of becoming functioning, contributing
members of society.
“Current standards of cleft care
include multidisciplinary management
by a qualified cleft palate team in accordance
with American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial
Association (ACPA) criteria,” said
Dr. Witt. “The complexities of the condition
make it necessary for a variety of
clinicians to collaborate on planning and
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delivery of treatment, including specialists from medical and surgical,
dental, and speech and hearing.”
Dr. Witt strongly believes that the kind of team expertise practiced
at pediatric hospitals is key to this treatment.
“The more specialized we get in healthcare the more multidisciplinary
we need to be,” he said. “Complex problems need more than
one expert. That’s why these kinds of conditions should be treated at
a tertiary institution equipped to handle them.”
Cleft facial patients typically undergo multiple surgeries and procedures
over many years, sometimes until they are young adults. “It’s
one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do, to see them grow up,
graduate, get married – succeed,” said Dr. Witt.
Board certified in plastic, hand and general surgery, Dr. Witt is
nationally known for his skilled cleft lip and palate repair and personal
interest in subsequent speech issues. The plastic surgery program at
Children’s serves more than 1,650 kids a year. The busy department
has three board certified plastic surgeons.
“Because of what Dr. Witt has helped establish with his team at
Children’s, there’s no reason for any child to go outside the Valley for a
cleft-craniofacial issue,” said Todd Suntrapak, Children’s executive vice
president and chief operating officer. “When I think of all the incredible
work that we do here, I still get amazed by some of the things that
Peter is able to achieve. I hope the Valley truly understands the special
talent we have here with this plastic surgery team.”