Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

10222 Jefferson Hwy

Baton Rouge, LA 70809

For Appointments

Fax (225) 765 - 1999

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Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: More Than Just a Pretty Face…

The subspecialty of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery plays a vital role in restoring normal appearance, natural function, and quality of life for patients affected by a wide range of conditions—from congenital anomalies and traumatic injuries to cancer and other medical conditions. Facial deformities, regardless of origin, can lead to social isolation, diminished professional opportunities, and challenges in education and community integration. When deformities involve the eyelids, mouth, or facial movement, they may cause blindness, difficulties with eating, chewing, speaking, or breathing. In essence, many everyday functions we take for granted—basic social interaction and communication—can become profoundly impaired. The Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Baton Rouge provides expert care that restores facial function and appearance, enabling patients to lead richer, more fulfilling lives.

Patient Care in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: It Takes a Village…

The LSU Department of Otolaryngology has a distinguished legacy of delivering reconstructive, aesthetic, and restorative surgery. In recent years, we have assembled an elite, multidisciplinary team with complementary expertise capable of addressing nearly every facial disorder. For complex cases, we collaborate with specialists across disciplines beyond otolaryngology to devise optimal treatment plans.

Our facial plastics team at the Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has pioneered several innovative programs, including the Cleft and Craniofacial Multidisciplinary Team, the Facial Nerve Disorders Multidisciplinary Clinic, and a specialized clinic for velopharyngeal deficiency at Our Lady of the Lake. Interdisciplinary collaboration is the cornerstone of our approach, ensuring superior outcomes for patients with rare or complex conditions. In Baton Rouge, the LSU Department of Otolaryngology boasts a robust network of collaborative faculty, working seamlessly to optimize both form and function to the head and neck.

Skin Cancer Reconstruction

Our team at the Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery performs a high volume of facial and neck skin cancer surgeries, at times more than 10 procedures per week. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the nation and if caught early, is one of the most treatable. It is estimated that about half of Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they reach the age of 65. Our team continues to serve the needs of a growing population of Louisianans suffering from skin cancer. Led by Dr Alyssa Ovaitt, we work hand in hand with regional dermatologists, head and neck cancer specialists, and Mohs surgeons to restore form and function following cancer surgery.

While skin cancer resection can be challenging for patients thoughtful reconstruction is aimed at returning them back to their normal lives.

Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery

A cornerstone program led by our surgeons at the Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the comprehensive care of infants, children, and adults with congenital facial differences, including cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, atypical facial clefts, and other dysmorphic syndromes.

Founded by Dr. Laura Hetzler in 2014, our Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery team established the Cleft and Craniofacial Team in direct affiliation with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. The Cleft and Craniofacial Team has been designated by the American Cleft Palate--Craniofacial Association since 2015. The program experienced rapid growth and in 2021, Dr. Hetzler recruited Dr. Lisa Morris—a surgeon with over a decade of specialized experience, including complex craniosynostosis repair—to co-lead the team. Dr. Morris is known nationally and internationally for her work.

Under Dr. Morris’s leadership, LSU now provides comprehensive care for all children with craniofacial differences at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge—ensuring no child is turned away. To meet the needs of our growing patient population, Dr. Morris established a specialized Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Clinic for patients with speech disorders related to cleft palate. Dr. Morris has also expanded the program's focus to include adults with cleft and craniofacial conditions. She specializes in revision surgery for adults born with these conditions, as aging can affect the results of childhood procedures and create new functional or aesthetic concerns. Dr. Morris and Dr. Hetzler also volunteer their time treating cleft disorders on yearly international humanitarian surgical outreach to South America and Asia.

Facial Reanimation

LSU is emerging as an international leader in facial reanimation, the process of restoring movement to a paralyzed face. A key focus of our Baton Rouge practice is the management of facial paralysis—a profound disability, regardless of cause. Facial paralysis can be the result of viral infections like Bell’s palsy, cancer, surgery, trauma, congenital, or other etiologies.

In 2017, under the guidance of Laura Hetzler MD, our department launched the Facial Nerve Disorders Multidisciplinary Clinic, offering individualized assessments, advanced facial retraining therapy, and botulinum toxin injections to optimize recovery. Leveraging high patient volumes from our Head and Neck Oncology, Skull Base, and Neurotology practices—along with strong partnerships with Neurosurgery and Neurology—we have developed evidence-based medical and surgical protocols for facial paralysis.

The LSU Facial Reanimation Team includes Laura Hetzler MD, Sara MacDowell DPT, Moisés Arriaga MD, Frank Culicchia MD, and Daniel Nuss MD. Not all patients require surgery: we employ efficient diagnostic strategies to determine the best path—medical management, surgical intervention, or a combined approach. Surgical options range from direct nerve repair and grafting to nerve transpositions and, when necessary, microvascular transplantation of nerves and muscles from other body regions—tailoring treatment to restore natural, healthy facial movement

Innovations in facial synkinesis management include selective neurectomy (cutting nerves) or myectomy (cutting of muscles) for the DAO, platysma, or orbicularis oculi.

Facial Aesthetics

The face is the first thing others notice. As we age, skin loses firmness and elasticity, giving way to lines, wrinkles, and sagging that reflect a lifetime of expressions. Declining muscle tone in the face and neck contributes to jowls, drooping eyelids, “double chins,” and fuller necks. Reduced collagen production and shifting subcutaneous fat diminish facial volume, eroding the smooth contours of youthful cheeks and full lips. Even the nose’s shape and support can change over time. These natural aging processes often leave individuals looking older than they feel.

At the Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, our surgeons specialize exclusively in procedures of the nose, face, and neck. Experts in both surgical and non-surgical techniques, they refine, rejuvenate, and revitalize facial appearance with precision. Recognizing that aging is unique to each individual, we prioritize a personalized approach to achieve natural, harmonious results—leaving you looking refreshed, not artificially altered.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common procedures performed by our team at the Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. All of our surgeons are double board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology, giving them a unique approach to marry form and function, optimizing appearance and breathing in one procedure. Dr. Alyssa Ovaitt, a leader in rhinoplasty surgery, is specially trained in traditional techniques and more modern innovations, including preservation rhinoplasty. Surgery is aimed to improve nasal breathing for a wide range of problems, from congenital abnormalities of the nose and deformity after trauma to revision procedures after failed surgery. For patients who are interested in making aesthetic changes to the nose, our team builds personalized plans for each patient to yield successful and natural results.