Psychosocial adjustment of 20 patients with Treacher Collins syndrome before and after reconstructive surgery

Eight males and 12 females (mean age, 12.2 years) with Treacher Collins syndrome were studied longitudinally before and after craniofacial reconstruction. The patients and the parents of the 16 patients who were children were interviewed by a psychosocial team (child psychiatrist, psychologist and social worker) 6 months before and 1, 2, 3 and 4 years after surgery. The patients' facial appearance (Hay's Rating Scale), intellectual ability (Wechsler scales), self-esteem (Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children) and adaptive functioning (DSM III) were measured. The findings indicate that while their intellectual ability was unchanged, their appearance, self-esteem and adaptive functioning improved, peaking 1 year postoperatively and levelling off at the 2- and 4-year postoperative assessments. The improvement in the patients' facial appearance seems to have a direct, positive influence, creating psychosocial and social benefits for them.