Dr. Michael Friel serves as the Surgical Director of Ochsner’s Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Program. Dr. Friel is a double-fellowship trained, triple-board certified surgeon (American Board of Surgery, American Board of Plastic Surgery and American Board of Plastic Surgery Hand Subspecialty). He serves as an editor of the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, Annals of Plastic Surgery and Microsurgery. He also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. He has participated in multiple Operation Smile medical missions and serves on the Board of Directors of the Cleft Palate Foundation. Dr. Friel is very active within leadership positions of the American Cleft Palate – Craniofacial Association and brings contemporary reconstructive treatment options for patients with congenital and post-traumatic pediatric plastic surgery needs.

Conditions Treated

Cleft Surgery / Conditions Affecting the Face

• Cleft Lip – Cleft Lip Repair
• Cleft Palate – Cleft Palate Repair, Furlow Palatoplasty
• 22q deletion syndrome – Furlow Palatoplasty
• Treacher Collins Syndrome – Midface reconstruction
• Pierre Robin Sequence / tongue based airway obstruction – Mandibular distraction
• Ear tags and skin tags – Excision
• Microtia – Ear reconstruction
• Hemifacial Microsomia – Distraction osteogenesis
• Facial Asymmetry – Fat grafting and microsurgery
• Neonatal ear malformations – In-office ear molding
• Malocclusion – Orthognathic / Jaw surgery
• All elements of Pediatric Facial Reconstruction

Abnormal Head Shape / Cranial

• Positional/Deformational Plagiocephaly – Cranial Orthotics / Helmet Therapy
• Craniosynostosis – Minimally invasive cranial vault surgery and formal cranial vault reconstruction
• Frontonasal dysplasia / hypertelorism – surgical correction
• Apert Syndrome – cranial vault surgery and midface surgery
• Crouzon Syndrome– cranial vault surgery and midface surgery
• Noonan Syndrome – cranial vault surgery and midface surgery
• Pfeiffer Syndrome – cranial vault surgery and midface surgery
• Carpenter Syndrome – cranial vault surgery and midface surgery

Congenital and Pediatric Hand Conditions

• Trigger finger in children – trigger finger release
• Thumb duplication – corrective surgery
• Post-traumatic hand injuries in children – corrective surgery
• Nerve reconstruction – microsurgical nerve reconstruction
• Clinodactyly / Camptodactyly – corrective hand surgery
• Polydactyly – in-office excision of extra digit
• Syndactyly – finger separation surgery

Skin Disorders

• Infantile Hemangiomas – medical and surgical management
• Vascular anomalies of the skin and face – medical and surgical management
• Congenital Nevi – traditional excision, serial excision, tissue expansion
• Benign and malignant skin lesions in children – surgical excision
• Neurofibromatosis – microsurgery and surgical excision

Wound Care, Burns, and Scars

• Animal Bites – wound care and surgical repair
• Pediatric burns – non surgical and surgical burn care
• Acute and Chronic Wounds – non surgical and surgical options
• Unfavorable scars / scar revision

Breast and Body Image

• Adolescent breast surgery
  • Tuberous Breast deformity – breast symmetry surgery
  • Macromastia – breast reduction
  • Poland Syndrome – breast construction
  • Breast Asymmetry – breast symmetry surgery
• Prominent Ears – Otoplasty
• Nasal deformity, congenital or post-traumatic – Adolescent rhinoplasty
• Gynecomastia – Mastectomy