How Can Sagittal Skull Bump Reduction Reoccurrence Be Prevented?

Q: Dr. Eppley,I have had a sagittal bump reduction done in 2023. The bump gradually reocurred and reached the same extend 2 years after the procedure (pictures). If surgery was performed again: Is reocurrence as likely and are there any preventive measures?

A:Recurrence after a sagittal skull reduction, or any form of skull reduction, is not a postoperative phenomenon that I have ever seen. In looking at your pictures that is a fairly prominent bump which should be able to be completely reduced. The location of the scalp incision to do it is a bit unusual in my experience both in location and incisional length. For such a skull prominence to have ‘recurred’ it was either never really completely reduced and only long term swelling prevented it from being initially seen or it was adequately reduced and due to failure to place a sealing agent over the open reduced bone recurrence has occurred. However in looking at the shape of the sagittal bump ‘recurrence’ that looks like to me probably what the  original sagittal bump looked like.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon