As the old saying goes, kids can say the darndest things. As numerous social media videos can attest, that’s especially true when they wake up from anesthesia after surgery.

Dr. Suzanne Barnes was no exception. After she had her wisdom teeth removed as a teen, she decided it was the perfect time to share her hopes and dreams with anyone who would listen. “I woke up from the anesthesia and I was going on and on about how I was going to go to dental school one day,” she says. “I just talked about my dreams with this man I didn't even know.”

That man didn’t laugh at Barnes’ aspirations. Instead, he offered her a summer job working in his oral surgery practice – and a pathway into her future career. “I remember telling my parents at the end of that summer I would be an oral surgeon one day.” From that moment, Barnes set a course to make it happen.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and then received her DMD from Nova Southeastern University, which are both in her home state of Florida. She then moved to Nashville, Tennessee to complete her oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

While at Vanderbilt, Barnes discovered a passion for one type of surgery in particular: cleft lip and palate. “We did a lot of the alveolar cleft repairs at Vanderbilt and I really loved it,” she says. That prompted her to spend another year in training in Charleston, West Virginia, where she completed a cleft and craniofacial fellowship in 2021.

"Children who require cleft lip or cleft palate surgery are some of the most resilient, strong and fun children I've ever met. They're such a blessing.”  

From that point on, Barnes says, she was drawn to cleft palate and cleft lip repair for several reasons. “I love the creativity of the surgery. I also love working with the patients, from the time they are born until they are adults. Children who require cleft lip or cleft palate surgery are some of the most resilient, strong and fun children I've ever met. They're such a blessing.”  

Barnes says her own experiences as a child prepared her to work well with children who have cleft palate, as well as their families. “I had seizures as a child, which I am grateful I outgrew by the age of 12. However, I spent numerous appointments in a pediatric neurologist’s office for about two years. I gained an awareness of what it looks like to meet the child where they are – as well as to meet the parents where they are. I remember vividly my parents being really scared and nervous, and yet trying to be brave for me. There were a lot of unknowns.”

She says her pediatric neurologist had one characteristic in particular that made the process easier. “He was incredibly patient. His philosophy was he was going to sit there and talk to you as long as it took. I have implemented the same principle when I'm seeing my patients, whether they are adults or children. But especially with kids, you can never underestimate the value of time spent listening and building good rapport. My desire is for each patient to leave with an understanding of their diagnosis, their questions answered, and reassurance they will be cared for as if they were family.”

As for her own family, which includes a husband and a daughter born in 2021, Barnes says they are excited to call Louisville home. “I feel like my whole life has been moving – for undergrad, dental school, and then residency, and then it was a year for fellowship. I am grateful to set roots down and to dream about when my daughter starts running around in our backyard and playing with our dog. And I think I'm just enjoying the simpler things of life right now, which is just really good for my heart.”

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April 8, 2022