By What are the treatment options for craniosynostosis?
What are the treatment options for craniosynostosis?
- minimally invasive surgery to release the sutures that are fused.
- reconstructive surgery to reposition the skull bones to allow for normal growth and development.
Is surgery necessary for craniosynostosis?
Craniosynostosis is often diagnosed in very young infants, and doctors may recommend surgery. It’s natural to feel anxiety about surgery for a small baby, however, surgery for craniosynostosis is highly successful.
When should craniosynostosis surgery be done?
Most procedures for the treatment of craniosynostosis are performed before the age of one year, and some are performed before 3-4 months of age. Almost any child with a fused suture is a candidate for surgery.
What happens if you don’t get surgery for craniosynostosis?
As a result babies may have a misshapen skull, which may impair brain growth. Without treatment, children may have developmental delays. Helmet therapy or craniosynostosis surgery can release or reshape a baby’s fused bones. With timely treatment, most children with craniosynostosis grow and develop in a healthy way.
Can craniosynostosis come back after surgery?
Re-synostosis after standard surgical procedures for nonsyndromic craniosynostosis is a rare event, which can occur at the same suture or rarely in adjacent sutures.
How long does it take to recovery from craniosynostosis surgery?
It takes approximately 12 weeks for the bones in your child’s head to heal and regain full strength. How will I manage my child’s pain at home? Your child’s pain will be well controlled by the time they are discharged from the hospital. Often, Tylenol is adequate for managing pain relief a few days after surgery.
Is craniosynostosis painful?
In general, craniosynostosis is not a painful condition. However, if there is increased pressure on the brain, it can cause: Abnormalities affecting the face and hands. Headaches.
When to have an endoscopic strip craniectomy for a baby?
An endoscopic strip craniectomy is a treatment option only for babies who are 4 months or younger. After this age, the head is not growing as fast, so the helmet is not likely to work as well. We recommend endoscopic surgery for young babies with a single fused sagittal or lambdoid suture.
How is craniosynostosis treated at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia?
The common treatment approach at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) includes a formal cranial vault expansion and reshaping procedure, but a strip craniectomy can be used as a preliminary procedure to reduce pressure in very young children (typically less than 6 months of age) with multiple sutures involved.
What happens to the head After craniosynostosis surgery?
Bottom photos: Post-operative after cranial spring placement in infancy, now with improved width and round shape of the skull. Cranial molding helmet therapy may be used before surgery to limit the head shape progression associated with sagittal synostosis.
What happens to a baby’s head after endoscopic surgery?
After surgery, your baby wears a helmet for several months. The helmet molds their head to a shape that allows for normal brain growth. This minimally invasive procedure is also called endoscopic release surgery. During the operation, surgeons use an endoscope.