Endoscopy-assisted wide-vertex craniectomy, "barrel-stave" osteotomies, and postoperative helmet molding therapy in the early management of sagittal suture craniosynostosis.

OBJECT: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety, associated complications, and outcome in patients with sagittal suture craniosynostosis in whom endoscopy-assisted wide-vertex craniotomy and "barrel-stave" osteotomy were performed.

METHODS: During a 4-year period, 59 patients with sagittal suture synostosis underwent endoscopy-assisted wide-vertex craniectomies, barrel stave-like osteotomies, and postoperatively were fitted with custom-made molding helmets. Data on operative time, blood loss, transfusion rates, hospital length of stay, complications, and hospital charges were collected prospectively. The mean patient age at the time of surgery was 3.7 months. The average blood loss was 31.8 ml; and only one patient required an intraoperative blood transfusion. Nine patients received transfusions of donor blood postoperatively. The mean operative time was 50 minutes, and all but three patients were discharged from the hospital the morning following surgery. There were no intraoperative complications. Normocephaly as well as normal cephalic indices were observed at latest follow up.

CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that early treatment of infants with sagittal suture craniosynostosis by using minimally invasive, endoscopy-assisted wide-vertex craniectomies provides excellent results and a significantly lower morbidity rate than traditional calvarial vault reconstructive procedures.