Approach

History

Our Values and Mission

Our Objectives

Our Six Principles of Health Care Delivery

Treatment

Research and Technology

Education

Humanitarianism

Overview

For over 32 years, Professor David David AC, has been a leader in Australia's health industry through his innovative work in developing the treatments, tools, technology, research, and systems required for providing total, long term health care for individuals with craniofacial deformities in Australia and internationally. His work has successfully bridged public and private sectors in Australia and overseas and has helped to bring university research and private industry and technology to the forefront of craniofacial treatments and knowledge.

A key component of Professor David's approach to total health care system delivery is his commitment to establishing an infrastructure that supports treatment , education, and research. To this end, he worked with the South Australian Government and the Commonwealth government to create the Australian Craniofacial Unit for the treatment of patients. In 1984, with the support of Australian community groups, Professor David founded the Australian Cranio-Maxillo Facial Foundation as a means of raising funds for patient care, education and research. Professor David serves as the Head of Unit, President and Executive Chairman of each of these organisations.

Professor David David has dedicated years of personal commitment to the craniofacial discipline - establishing the Australian Cranio Maxillo Facial Foundation and related organisations in Adelaide; founding the Asian Pacific Craniofacial Association and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, of which he is immediate past President; and training and establishing multidisciplinary teams in public and private hospitals across the Asia Pacific region. In addition, his contributions internationally are recognised as immediate past President of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery.

Also refer to Professor David David's private website

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Approach

The aim of the Unit is to meet the multi-faceted needs of its patients and to this end, functions as a multi-disciplinary team incorporating expertise in clinical practice, research and education. It is one of the few units, worldwide to provide a holistic approach.

The Team

The Team includes experts from the following disciplines

Patient Assessment and Treatment

To ensure a systematic approach, assessment and treatment by members of the team is coordinated. A patient may require a few or many appointments depending upon their condition.

For interstate and overseas patients, these appointments are scheduled as closely together as possible to minimise the time required to complete the assessment review, or treatment phase. Residential accommodation at a modest cost is available.

Many patients will attend a clinic at the conclusion of their assessment appointments to discuss the findings and to set out a management program. If surgery is indicated, a planning meeting involving the patient, family members and relevant team members will be scheduled.

Patient management often spans many years. In the case of congenital abnormalities, it continues right through childhood and teenage years. Intervention is usually a combination of surgery and medical management undertaken at predetermined stages and supported by a sensitive and professional team.

Since inception, over 10,000 major operations have been performed by the Unit in Australia and overseas and the workload has been almost equally divided between adults and children.

Of the patients treated in Adelaide:

• 80% are South Australian
• 10% are from Interstate
• 10% are from Overseas

Conditions Treated

The patients treated can suffer from a wide spectrum of craniofacial conditions; distortion of the skull and facial shape; cleft lip and palate; facial clefts; mouth and jaw problems; facial asymmetry; benign and malignant tumours. Some conditions are present at birth while others can develop later in life.

Examples of conditions managed at the Unit include:

• Craniosynostoses Metopic synostosis Sagittal synostosis Coronal synostosis Lambdoid synostosis Plagiocephaly Crouzon syndrome Apert syndrome Saethre-Chotzen syndrome Pfeiffer syndrome Carpenter syndrome Cohen syndrome Waardenburg syndrome
• Speech Disorder Velopharyngeal Incompetence
• Tumours Rhabdomyosarcoma Chordoma Teratoma Orbital Lymphoma Haemangioma Fibrous Dysplasia Jaw Tumor Lymphangioma
• Clefts Cleft lip Cleft lip and palate Cleft palate Submucous cleft palate Pierre Robin syndrome Van der Woude syndrome Hemifacial Microsomia Goldenhar syndrome Treacher Collins syndrome Rare Facial Cleft
• Growth Disorders Binder Marfan Primary Orthognathic Primary Chin Encephaloceles Romberg Facial Atrophy TMJ Disorders Neurofibromatosis Beckwith-Wiedemann Moebius Trauma

The percentage of conditions treated to date at the Unit in Adelaide are

• clefts - 30%
• growth disorders - 18%
• trauma - 17%
• craniosynostosis - 14%
• tumours/masses - 8%
• degenerations - 5%
• speech disorders - 5%
• other - 3%

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History

1973
A Cleft/Maxillo Facial Unit is established at the Adelaide Children's Hospital
1975
Mr David establishes the South Australian Cranio Facial Unit located at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Adelaide Children's Hospital, with support from Premier Don Dunstan and a grant of $10,000 from the Salisbury Combined Services Clubs
1978
First clinics are held in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore
1982
First clinics are held in Bruni
1983
First clinics are held in Thailand and New Zealand
The Fellowship program commences. Craniofacial Fellows spend 6 or 12 months at the Unit to increase their skills in this area.
Since 1983, 38 Fellows and 39 Registrars have undertaken the program.
Research Unit is established. Prof Tasman Brown heads the research team
1984
The Apex Foundation, as part of a national project, provided seed funding to establish the Australian Cranio-Maxillo Facial Foundation.
1985
The Unit treats its 1,000th patient
The first clinics are held in Indonesia and China
1988
The Unit treats its 3,000th patient
The Australian Health Ministers. Advisory Council, by mutual agreement between the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments, officially designated the Unit as a national centre of excellence and since that time it has been called the Australian Craniofacial Unit.
Mr David David awarded Commander of the Order of Australia for his services to medicine
1989
First Clinics are held in Fiji
1990
The Unit treats its 4,000th patient
Mr David named South Australian of the decade
1991
Establishment of the Institute of Cranio Facial Studies Inc (Australian Craniofacial Institute) as the research, teaching and development arm of the Unit
1992
First clinics are held in Oman

1993
First clinics are held in Kuwait
1994
The Unit treats its 6,000th patient
1998
The Unit treats its 8,000th patient
Formal affiliation between the Institute and the University of Adelaide
Relationship with The Smile Train established - to support the clefts program for disadvantaged children in Indonesia
2002
The Unit treats its 10,000th patient
Formal Memorandum with the Indonesian Ministry of Health Signed
The Institute hosts a delegation from the Ministry of Health of Kingdom of Bahrain on its visit to South Australia to review the Australian Health system
2003
Mr David granted status as the first clinical professor of Cranio-Maxillo Facial surgery at the University of Adelaide
2004
The celebration of 30 years of The Craniofacial Unit in South Australia –
Dr Peter Anderson appointed as the Unit's newest Consultant Craniofacial Surgeon,
2006
The Unit treats its 11,000th patient,
2007
Expansion of our services in China to include Shanghai and Nanjing.

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Our Values and Mission

Values Statement

It is the group's fundamental purpose to seek to restore people suffering from craniofacial deformities or injuries to their full place in society, with renewed hope and restored dignity.

To achieve this, all the Institute's activities are dedicated towards achieving the best possible outcomes for people suffering from craniofacial deformities or ionjuries, consistent with:

• The pursuit of standards of excellence in the clinical, scientific and educational disciplines necessary to advance patient treatments;
• The pursuit of best management practices, and
• Making the best use of available resources in accordance with established principles of effectiveness, efficiency and economy.

Mission

To encourage and support:

• The development and provision of patient diagnostic and treatment services that are appropiate and accessible worldwide to people suffering from craniofacial deformities and injuries
• Associated research and teaching activities; and
• Associated health system developments

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Our Objectives

To develop and where appropiate provide or arrange for the provision of patient diagnosis and treatment services that are appropiate and accessible world wide to people suffering from craniofacial deformities and injuries.

To carry out research into the aetiology, diagnosis and management of craniofacial deformities and injuries.

The education of medical practioners throughout the world in the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with craniofacial deformities and injuries.

The development and utilisation of scientific and medical talent and advanced medical technology in the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with craniofacial deformities and injuries.

The raising of funds for the achievement of the Institute's objectives in any lawful manner, which may include engaging in commercial activities; and

The doing of any other lawful things as are indicated or conducive to the attainment of any or all of the above objects.

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Our Six Principals of Health Care Delivery

1. Care is provided by multidisciplinary teams.

   Depending upon the condition, a range of professionals may be required to treat the physical, emotional, and societal needs of the patient.

   The presence of an entire team during assessment stages provides the opportunity to define comprehensive analysis amd treatment strategies for the patient.

    

2. Care is protocol driven.

   Processed for the delivery of all forms of care are defined and delivered according to best practice measures.

    

3. Care is longitudinal.

   Age, healing and growth processes, and the stability of treatments demand a process of care that may require years of treatment. Attempts at shortening those processes potentially lead to lifelong problems that can seriously affect the quality of life of the individual.

    

4. Strong supporting infrastructure.

   Complex, longitudinal care requires secure financial and administrative support at institutional and community levels.

    

5. Competent professionals involved in ongoing education and training.

   Caring for individuals with craniofacial conditions requires experience and high levels of skill. It is imperative that properly qualified individuals are on the multidisciplinary team and that all team members are involved in ongoing education and training.

    

6. Research linked.

   The provision of care should be linked to research exploring causes, treatment outcomes and strategies, and social welfare.

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Treatment

Our aim is to meet the multi-faceted needs of our patients and to this end we function as a multidisciplinary team with specialists working together to provide the best possible patient care. It is one of the few units, worldwide, to provide a holistic approach.

We treat a wide variety of craniofacial conditions encompassing birth defects, speech problems, growth disorders and trauma. Diagnoses range from facial clefts and distorted facial or head shape through to facial fractures and tumours.

Many of our patients requite treatment and support from birth to adulthood.

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Research and Technology

In order to advance the knowledge and treatment of craniofacial disorders, the Institute's Research division works closely with the clinical team.

The major institute based research programs are:

Craniofacial morphology ~ Clinical cephalometrics

Biomedical engineering ~ Genetics

Biology of craniofacial deformaties ~ Bone distraction

Research visitors program

Small Grants Program to support national and international research projects.

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Education

Craniofacial Australia has a record of providing successful surgical training programs. It regularly hosts surgeons from other countries who seek training in the techniques practiced at the Unit. Included in those programs have been doctors from the USA, Britain, New Zealand, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Sweden, Switzerlan, China, Vietnam, Turkey, Kuwait, India and Bahrain.

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Humanitaranism

Asian Pacific Craniofacial Clinics Development Program

In South East Asia there are many people with craniofacial deformities and injuries. Often existing local medical services are inadequate for effective treatment of these individuals.

Hence many with a craniofacial defect or injury are condemned to a life of social ridicule and exclusion.

When provided with competent craniofacial surgery, most will experience restored self esteem and dignity. The long term objective of the program is to establish competent hospital-based craniofacial services.

Our teams have visited other countries since 1978, training local medical and paramedical staff and operating on patients. Many severy cases have been referred to the Unit for surgery in Adelaide.

In recent years, our work has been supplemented by funding from US based charity, The Smile Train, which has provided funding to our partners in Indonesia for primary cleft repair.

In conjuction with AusAid and the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, our team completed 10 days of surgery and teaching in China in 2007. The emphasis of the visit was to demonstrate the multidisciplinary long-term approach to craniofacial care.

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