What Type Of Skull Reshaping Do I Need?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’m very interested in pursuing skull reshaping surgery to fix a congenital defect involving the right side of my skull. For as long as I can remember, it has been both a cosmetic concern and one of comfort. (causing pain/discomfort with prolonged lying on the right side or with wearing helmets of any sort). From reading your web-based article, I believe I may be a good candidate for your procedure. I’ve attached a few photos of the affected area for your review; of course it’s difficult to capture the magnitude and dimensions of the defect (a bulging, sharply angulated defect) with mere photos. I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

A: As best I can tell from your pictures, the location you are referring to is the right parietal/posterior temporal region. You describe it as a congenital defect but also call it bulging. I suspect you mean a lifelong bulge in this area which is painful. This is very consistent in my experience with more of a temporalis muscle problem in that area. Most patients and even physicians have little appreciation of how thick the temporalis muscle is in that area and how far back it goes. It always feels like bone but there is a 5 to 7mm layer of muscle under exactly where you point. Having done a far number of temporalis muscle reductions/resections (temporal reduction) in this area for symptoms described just like yours, I can attest that your concerns are more likely muscular based than being a bone problem. A CT or MRI will show how thick the muscle is in this area. However, I often make the decision to do muscle resection/reduction based on the description and physical examination only.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana