Cranio-facial surgery for cranio-synostosis.

Cranio-facial principles have been applied to the treatment of craniosynostosis by the senior author since 1973, and original techniques have been developed for the treatment of oxycephaly, trigonocephaly, plagiocephaly brachycephaly and scaphocephaly; 156 patients have been operated upon. There is now enough follow-up material to establish that the good morphological results obtained initially are maintained through growth, and that there is a definite improvement in affected facial structures when early correction has been performed. The functional results have also been very satisfactory and reoperation for insufficient release has been rare. A multidisciplinary approach is highly recommended, and this type of surgery should be performed in a pediatric neuro-surgical environment.