title: Coronal suturectomy through minimal incisions and distraction osteogenesis are enough without other craniotomies for the treatment of plagiocephaly due to coronal synostosis.
abstract: In the last few years, many surgeons have tried to reduce the damage produced during surgical approaches by trying to apply the principles of minimal invasive surgical techniques in every type of surgery. Some endoscopic techniques, added to orthopedic mechanisms, allow us to reduce the size of the incisions needed for the craniosynostosis surgery. We present a conservative surgical option in the treatment of one frequent craniofacial malformation due to synostosis: plagiocephaly due to coronal synostosis. We have operated on 10 patients with unilateral coronal synostosis. In all cases, a unique craniotomy, just in the coronal suture, was made without other accessory craniotomies. Mobilization of the frontal bone was not done at time of surgery, but it was done slowly with a distractor device later. All the patients were younger than 14 months, and the minimum follow-up has been 1 year after the operative course, and in all the patients, the anthropometric results were satisfactory both for the families and the medical team.The treatment of coronal synostosis can be made with both a simple coronal suturectomy, using small incisions under endoscopic control, and the application of a unidirectional bone distraction system. An orthopedic helmet can help to gain better results for reshaping a patient's cranial vault, during the last part of the postoperative period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Craniofacial Surgical Unit, University Hospital A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain. mtellado@mundo-r.com
authors.forename: Manuel Gómez
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tellado
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lema
mesh_terms: D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000601:surgery*; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D044583:Neuroendoscopy; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction