Jul 18, 2024
Many Diplomates of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) are experts in the treatment of cleft and craniofacial anomalies.
This specialty lends itself to the human aspect, as these oral and maxillofacial surgeons typically treat children born with these conditions from birth, continuing to see them for many years afterward. Today, we are honoring the impact of this career on the surgeons themselves, in their own words.
How did you become passionate about cleft and craniofacial surgery?
“My passion for pediatrics began on January 30, 2010. My son was born prematurely at 32 weeks of age. Before his birth we knew, due to the ultrasound, that our child would be born with abnormalities in his gastrointestinal tract. We did not know the specifics but when he was born his abdomen was significantly distended and he could not breathe on his own. During his first week of life it was determined he had a bowel obstruction and needed an exploratory laparotomy. He unfortunately developed a volvulus and lost most of his small intestines. He spent over a year in the intensive care unit. As I saw him recover and the amazing resilience of this young man, my desire to help children with dysmorphologies developed.
I was blessed to train under the chief pediatric craniofacial surgeon at the University of Michigan. His mentorship and my intention to help children with facial differences grew. As surgeons we are blessed to be able to make a difference in our patients’ lives. My difference was going to help children with facial differences. As I continued to observe and learn about the field of craniofacial surgery it grew to be a passion of mine.”
—David Wilson, DMD, MD, FACS
“I first became interested in cleft and craniofacial surgery due to my aspiration to improve the life of children. When I had the opportunity to be exposed to cleft and craniofacial surgery during my oral and maxillofacial surgery residency training, I was then drawn to the field due to the complex nature of these conditions and the opportunity to make significant improvement in the patient’s quality of life through surgical interventions.”
—Joli C. Chou, DMD, MD, FACS
How has this line of work affected you personally?
“Having the training and the ability to care for patients with cleft and craniofacial anomalies has brought me great professional fulfillment in that cleft and craniofacial surgery can have great impact on patient lives from restoring function to improving quality of life. It also allowed me to participate in global outreach by supporting organizations such as Mercy Ships that provide maxillofacial surgeries including cleft and craniofacial surgery in underserved areas.”
—Joli C. Chou, DMD, MD, FACS
“Medical intervention for a child with a cleft and/or craniofacial condition begins at an early age, often in utero. Seeing a child born with a facial difference, performing necessary surgery, and watching the child thrive afterward has been extremely rewarding and motivational. These experiences have provided me with a sense of purpose, knowing that I am able to provide meaningful change in the life of a child. Although there is a unique emotional stress that comes with treating children due to parental anxieties and expectations of an excellent outcome, the rewards significantly outweigh the stress. It is one of the many reasons that this profession is so unique - sharing a bond with a family and working to instill trust and confidence from day one through honest communication and interaction. Through the strength, resilience and courage of my patients and their families, I am continually inspired to be a better surgeon.”
—Rachel A Bishop, DDS, MD, FACS
“This specific area of oral and maxillofacial surgery allows us as subspecialists to treat a patient from birth to adulthood. I enjoy becoming part of the ‘family’ and making a positive impact for young children and their families. It is more than a surgery—it’s wishing them a happy birthday, playing games with them at annual cleft picnics, and spending as much time as possible to make sure they know my interest is helping their child develop and have all the opportunities any other child has growing up. I am thankful to have my passion as a career.”
—David Wilson, DMD, MD, FACS
“I enjoy the challenge of difficult craniofacial surgeries and the differences that their outcomes make in a family’s life. I normally am involved in 1-2 global cleft missions per year. Although these are a sacrifice for my private practice, these trips are important in reminding me why I went into the field of maxillofacial surgery in the first place. In my opinion, the practice of Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery is one of the most rewarding aspects of medicine. We are fortunate to be able to do this for a living.”
—Carlo Guevara, MD, DDS, FACS
Could you share a story from your career that stood out for you?
“A story that stands out for me was during his cleft lip repair surgery. I happened to be treating two patients with cleft lip and palate on this day. It was not planned but the families were waiting in the lounge and decided to strike up a conversation. They soon realized they both had children with cleft lip and palate. The families became very close and their children have become friends. This encounter led me to the realization of families being able to connect with one another and share stories, or help younger parents starting their cleft journey. I started doing biannual cleft outings and continue this tradition. It has had a positive impact on many families.”
—David Wilson, DMD, MD, FACS
“The very first cranial vault reconstruction I performed when I got out into practice was, of course, framed with all the hopes and worries of any meaningful inaugural venture. Although this was really no different than any other craniofacial procedure I had performed in training, for the first time, this one was uniquely mine, and I was completely transparent with the family about this fact. Mom and dad understood my “newness” and I greatly appreciated their trust. Everything went great for the little guy and to this day, the family stays in regular contact, providing kiddo updates and continually offering to educate other families with craniofacial questions.”
—Jason E. Dashow, DDS, MD
About Rachel A. Bishop, DDS, MD, FACS: Dr. Rachel A. Bishop specializes in cleft and craniofacial surgery at Shriners Children’s Shreveport. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Texas A&M University. She attended dental school at The University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston, where she was inducted into the national dental honor society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon. Dr. Bishop obtained her medical degree from The University of Texas School of Medicine (McGovern Medical) in Houston, and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society. She completed two years of training in general surgery and an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Dr. Bishop’s passion for treating patients with facial differences led her to pursue specialized fellowship training in pediatric cleft and craniofacial surgery at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
About Joli C. Chou, DMD, MD, FACS: Dr. Joli C. Chou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She completed her oral and maxillofacial surgery residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Subsequently, she completed a pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery fellowship at Charleston Area Medical Center. Her clinical fields of interest include pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery, orthognathic surgery, and obstructive sleep apnea. Her research interests include dentofacial deformities, temporomandibular joint disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea. In addition, she serves as a volunteer surgeon for Mercy Ships, performing treatment for the underserved population in Africa.
About David Wilson, DMD, MD, FACS: Dr. David Wilson is a board certified craniofacial surgeon specializing in cleft and craniofacial surgery. Dr. Wilson is from Portland, Oregon, where he completed his undergraduate training at Lewis and Clark College and dental school at Oregon Health and Science University. He went on to complete his oral and maxillofacial surgery training and obtain his medical doctorate at the University of Michigan. Following his residency in general surgery at UofM, Dr. Wilson pursued a fellowship in pediatric craniofacial surgery with Dr. Pat Ricalde at the Florida Craniofacial Institute in Tampa, Florida. His surgical training has provided expertise in the management of pediatric congenital malformation, complex facial trauma, orthognathic surgery, benign tumor management, and managing medically complex patients. Dr. Wilson joined Kalamazoo Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in July 2015. Dr. Wilson is also the surgeon for the Western Michigan Cleft Team where he strives to provide individualized care to improve the overall well-being of his patients. He lectures on the subject of pediatric craniofacial anomalies at national meetings including the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is a clinical professor at Western Michigan University School of Medicine and participates in clinical research projects to improve surgical care for patients.
About Carlo Guevara, MD, DDS, FACS: Dr. Carlo Guevara is a California native who moved to Florida almost 10 years ago. Dr. Guevara was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California. Upon graduating, Dr. Guevara then attended Columbia University in New York City, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class earning his Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. At that time, he was accepted to the University of Florida at Jacksonville where he was trained in the broad scope of Craniomaxillofacial surgery, including complex facial reconstruction and airway surgery. During that period, Dr. Guevara graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine with his Medical Degree (MD) and completed a 1-year General Surgery Internship. Following his residency training, he completed an additional fellowship year of specialized training in Craniofacial Surgery at the University of Florida and Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. Upon completion of his fellowship training, Dr. Guevara became a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Gainesville, FL. He spent 2 years there as one of two Craniofacial Surgeons on the Cleft and Craniofacial team. He is now in private practice in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Dr. Guevara has authored numerous articles and book chapters, as well as lectured locally, nationally, and internationally on topics including Craniofacial surgery, facial trauma, and cleft surgery.
About Jason E. Dashow, DDS, MD: Dr. Dashow is a board certified oral and pediatric cleft/craniofacial surgeon. He is an active professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an oral examiner for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). Dr. Dashow completed a two-year cleft and craniofacial surgical fellowship at LSU Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, receiving subspecialized training in the correction of pediatric cleft and craniofacial anomalies. He completed both medical school and an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery residency at the University of Michigan. In addition to this training, Dr. Dashow completed a 2-year general surgery internship and specialty anesthesia training at the University of Michigan. Prior to surgical training, Dr. Dashow received a dental degree from the University of Washington.