In Unicoronal Craniosynostosis, one of the coronal sutures, which runs from the top of
the head to the outer eye, fuses too early.
This condition causes an atypical skull and head which is flattened on the affected side.
Babies with Unicoronal Craniosynostosis will often have brow and forehead flattening to
the affected side, and the eye may be a different shape.
At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our multidisciplinary team consists of plastic surgeons and neurosurgeons
who specialize in complex craniofacial conditions.
They will help guide you through surgical options using advanced tools like 3D photography
and virtual surgical planning.
The first option is a minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, where a small camera and instruments
are placed through a small incision, which is hidden in the hairline.
This surgery option is best for younger babies between 2 and 4 months of age.
Before the surgery your child will be put to sleep with general anesthesia so they will
not feel any pain during the procedure.
During this procedure, the fused coronal suture is removed as a strip of bone down the side
of the head to the ear.
After this procedure, your child will need to wear a helmet to help reshape the skull.
Over several months, your child’s skull will heal into a more typical shape.
Following endoscopic surgery, your child will usually stay at Children’s Colorado overnight,
and go home the next day.
Another option is an open surgery which is performed between 9 and 15 months of age.
This surgery is known as Fronto-Orbital Remodeling.
Your child will also be under general anesthesia for this procedure.
First, your child’s surgeon will make a wavy incision on top of your child’s head.
We make the incision wavy to help hide the scar under your child’s hair.
Next, the skin and soft tissues are gently pulled away from the top of the skull.
The surgeons will then cut and remove the entire forehead, which is the frontal bone.
The frontal bone is then cut in half in order to reshape the forehead.
From there, the surgeon will cut and access what’s called a bandeau, which is the strip
of bone encompassing the bones of the upper eyes and across the upper nose.
Several cuts will be made into the bandeau in order to reshape it.
After the bandeau is reshaped, it is repositioned with the aid of resorbable plates and screws.
There is typically a healing period for the incision and skull after which most children
will not need any further surgeries for this condition and the skull will be restored to
a more typical shape.
Following open surgery, your child will typically be sent to the surgical floor and will not
need to be in the ICU.
You can usually expect to stay at Children’s Colorado one to two days following open surgery.
Children are discharged once their eyes are no longer swollen, their pain is well controlled,
and they are eating and drinking normally.
The decision between the two surgeries is based on patient's age at presentation and
family/team preferences after discussion of the options.
You and your child are in excellent hands with the experienced craniofacial team at
Children’s Hospital Colorado.