Skull Reshaping

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a skull reshaping procedure. I have an odd shaped head that is long from front to back. I think I have a form of craniosynostosis that went untreated as a baby. What can be done now for it? I have attached pictures for your review.

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. As you know your head shape is a direct reflection of having had untreated sagittal craniosynotosis. This is why the back is so long and the forehead is slated backwards. While you did not include a front view, it is also likely that your head is fairly narrow in width as well.

What you may know is that it is no longer possible to treat your skull shape like is done in infants…a total skull reshaping by bone removal and expansion. That is done done in adults as that approach is reserved for when the bone is very thin and malleable.

This leaves you with several options. First, can the back projection be reduced enough to make a noticeable difference? The answer as to whether that is an option is how thick is the bone as this will require an x-ray to answer. Other options include upper forehead augmentation and skull widening but these may be not as important as reducing the projection on the back of the head.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana