Am I Told Old To Fix A Flat Spot On The back Of My Head?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a severe flat spot on the back of my head. I am 58 years old and there is not one single day goes by that I don’t despair due to this problem. I would be willing to be subject of a videoed production of the procedure to demonstrate the effectiveness and results of cranial reconstruction for those who may be considering such a procedure. I know there are alot of us out there and like myself, prefer to avoid the subject if possible, which is probably why the problem is addressed so seldomly. I have never reached out to a professional such as yourself because for most all of my life I have felt there was no hope for resolution to my problem, until now. I would be willing to send pictures if requested and any type of communication with you is possible at any time.

A:  Your concern proves that it is never too late to care about a long-standing physical concern. Even at your age, it is perfectly safe and possible to have an occipital cranioplasty performed. There is nothing unique about your age that would prevent this extracranial augmentation being done very successfully. Skull augmentation, at any location from the forehead to the back of the head, is the simple addition of a material on top of the bone. It is almost more of a scalp surgery (incision and scalp flaps) than it is bone surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana