How Can I Make My Head Bigger From Front To Back With Skull Reshaping (Augmentation)?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in skull reshaping surgery. My head shape is not normal. It is flat from the back side and inclined backward at the forehead making it smaller on the top as a whole. My face is not much wider as well resulting in a small head. I want to increase head size especially from my back side and forehead areas. Please tell me which procedure I need whether it is an implant or bone cement filling.

A: When it comes to skull reshaping and the aesthetics of your skull, you are talking about a sagittal (front to back) deficiency. Your forehead is slanted backward (retroclined) and the back of the head is flat. (or has a reverse retroclination compared to the front. This is treated by two different methods of dual forehead and occipital augmentation. It can be done with either a bone cement filling material (usually takes 150 grams) or custom forehead and occipital implants made from  3D CT scan. There are advantages and disadvantages of either approach but the end results of either one are the same with a potentially dramatic difference in the volume of your skull from front to back.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana