Can The High Ridge That Runs Down The Middle Of My Skull Be Removed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, What I am wanting to do is just reduce the high ridge on my head. That’s the only problem I have. My head seems as it has a bump right on top. I have attached three pictures to show you what I mean. it is pretty obvious.

A: What you have is a common condition that I see in aesthetic skull deformities, the prominent sagittal or midline ridge running from the front to the back. This gives the head  a high arching or a triangular shape. What is important to realize about this skull deformity is that it is more than just a prominent midline ridge, the sides of the skull next to it are also too low. It is the combination of the two that makes it look that way. Thus to do its correction and achieve a rounder skull shape, both problems must be simultaneously addressed. It is more than just burring down the midline ridge as there is a limit as to how much that can be done. (usually 5 to 7mms) The sides along the ridge out to the temporal line must be built up as well with cranioplasty material. When done together the desired look is obtained as I have illustrated in the attached computer imaging prediction.

While this skull reshaping can certainly be done and is not difficult to go through, the key decision as to whether this is right for you is whether the incision and the resultant scar to do it is an acceptable trade-off. An incision would be needed across the top of the head with a resultant fine line scar.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana