Craniosynostosis Treatment
The way to treat Craniosynostosis is through surgery. The type of surgery depends on what type of craniosynostosis your baby has. There are a few different options.
Cranial Vault Reconstruction (CVR)
This is a major surgery and involves the reshaping of the cranial bones in a single stage surgery. It involves an ear to ear incision and a total reconstruction of the skull bones, sometimes involving reabsorb-able plates, depending on the surgeon. This surgery is typically performed between 6-12 months of age but can be done until any age. The surgery lasts anywhere between 3 and 7 hours. There could be blood loss during the surgery, and a large percentage of children typically require a blood transfusion. Following surgery, your baby will need to stay in the ICU for an average of 3 and 5 days to make sure that everything is okay. There is typically swelling of the head, the eyes may swell shut, and the baby is usually very sleepy. This is normal and part of the healing process.
Endoscopic Strip Craniectomy a.k.a Suturectomy
This minimally invasive surgery involves cutting and removing the fused suture. It is a much shorter and simpler surgery than cranial vault reconstruction. This surgery is performed before 4 months of age (although some surgeons perform this up until 7 months), so an early diagnosis is essential. The surgery lasts approximately 2 hours including prep. There could be blood loss during the surgery and your baby might need a transfusion. Following surgery, your baby will need to stay in the ICU overnight to make sure that everything okay. Unlike the CVR, your journey is not over, step 2 is a helmet. (see next)
Helmet
Approximately one week after surgery, you will need to meet with an orthotist. This is someone who is trained in making the helmet that your baby will wear. One week after surgery, cranial measurements are taken to create the cranial orthosis, which is worn on average of 6-12 months. The helmet will generally come in a solid or pattern color, but you can have the helmet painted or put on decals to personalize it.
