Dr. Bonnie Padwa has a reputation for innovation in surgery and patient care. Her research interests include: techniques in iliac bone grafting procurement and storage and the impact of surgical procedures performed during infancy on facial growth and speech outcomes. Due to her experience treating these unique cases, Dr. Padwa has published and lectured extensively on the management of secondary cleft deformities. This past year, she and her collaborators published their work concerning simulation-based comprehensive cleft care workshops and the timing of secondary alveolar bone grafting at cleft sites. She is currently readying a manuscript concerning the largest single-surgeon outcome study for alveolar bone grafts in patients with cleft lip and palate.
As an early leader in the technique of distraction osteogenesis of the maxillofacial skeleton for patients with craniofacial anomalies, Dr. Padwa has written multiple publications on this topic. She was one of the first investigators to demonstrate that this procedure improves the obstructed airway in patients with syndromic craniosynostosis and is the most reliable technique for treating obstructive sleep apnea in infants with Robin sequence. Her work has helped to transform the way craniofacial surgeons treat infants with this condition.
