Prof. Emeka Nkenke is Professor and Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the General Hospital of Vienna, Austria. He also serves as a consultant at Wiener Privatklinik and maintains a private practice. Dually qualified in medicine and dentistry, Prof. Nkenke also holds a doctorate in theoretical medicine.

A global leader in surgical innovation, Prof. Nkenke is renowned for his expertise in virtual surgical planning and the use of patient-specific implants in orthognathic, craniofacial, and reconstructive surgery. He pioneered guided dental implant surgery and advanced microsurgical techniques for free flap jaw reconstruction, offering transformative solutions for patients with complex facial defects.

Prof. Nkenke has dedicated over two decades to the comprehensive treatment of cleft lip and palate malformations. His extensive experience spans both primary procedures (lip and palate closure) and secondary interventions, including alveolar bone grafting, maxillary advancement, and rhinoplasty. He is also highly skilled in distraction osteogenesis, further expanding the range of surgical options available to his patients.

As part of his commitment to education and advancing surgical excellence, Prof. Nkenke recently presented the webinar “Correction of the Cleft Lip Nasal Deformity,” sharing invaluable insights and surgical strategies for addressing one of the most challenging aspects of cleft care. His presentation underscored the importance of individualized treatment planning and long-term functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Prof. Nkenke serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery and as Section Editor of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He is a passionate educator, frequently leading webinars and organizing national and international congresses to share knowledge and elevate standards in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Dr. Olufemi A. Erinoso is a public health researcher and oral and maxillofacial surgeon whose work focuses on tobacco control, public health policy, and orofacial science. A Ph.D. candidate in Public Health (Socio-behavioral Health) at the University of Nevada, Reno, he investigates smoking cessation strategies for people with substance use disorders. His research, published in leading journals including The Lancet Global Health and Tobacco Control, spans topics from tobacco regulation in low- and middle-income countries to COVID-19’s impact on healthcare workers. Dr. Erinoso holds an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, a B.D.S from the University of Lagos, and is a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He has received multiple awards for his scholarship, including the Dean’s Merit Scholarship and the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.

Learning Objectives:

1 - Identify key anatomical and functional challenges in the correction of cleft lip nasal deformities, with a focus on individualized treatment planning for both primary and secondary procedures.

2 - Evaluate surgical techniques and innovations—including virtual surgical planning, patient-specific implants, and distraction osteogenesis—that optimize both aesthetic and functional outcomes in cleft patients.

3 - Apply principles of long-term care and multidisciplinary coordination in managing cleft lip and palate patients, incorporating insights from Prof. Nkenke’s two decades of clinical and surgical experience.