27-year-old's head deformity set right with cranioplasty

Bengaluru: The thing about human skulls is that each are different, and a little asymmetry is generally witnessed. But what if, the skull is a little more out of the ordinary and not in shape. Such was the case observed in Rajesh (name changed), a 27-year-old male hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, who was presented to Sakra World Hospital with the chief complaint of head deformity since childbirth. On examination, Rajesh was diagnosed to have craniosynostosis or an asymmetrical head with no other neurological or congenital abnormalities noted. Craniosynostosis is defined as a birth defect wherein the bones in a child's skull join earlier than usual before the brain is fully formed. The condition, if left untreated, can lead to serious health complications like seizures or increased pressure on the brain. While the exact cause of craniosynostosis is yet to be determined, the treatment usually involves unlocking the bones and reshaping the skull using surgical method. Rajesh had initially undergone a fat grafting surgery to correct the deformity a year back but still complained of persistent head deformity despite the fat graft. Upon consulting the experts at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru and examining his condition, they proceeded to conduct cranioplasty to correct the posterior part of the skull with the deformity.

ommenting on the procedure, Dr Rajendra, Senior Consultant and HOD - Plastic Surgery, Sakra World Hospital said, "The deformity caused due to Craniosynostosis is treated mainly due to neurological and cosmetic reasons. Surgery is the ideal treatment option and is preferable performed in the infancy (< 1 years) where the prognosis of the surgery is optimal. Few patients may face neurological consequences as a result of the unyielding pressure from the fixed cranium to the underlying brain, thus resulting in cognitive impairment.

In Rajesh's case, he was presented at an adult age and needed to correct the deformity for cosmetic reasons. Since his cranium was no longer pliable, we used bone cement as the only reasonable option to correct the deformity. It is important for parents to identify the deformities in the infancy stages and reach out to the doctors to get it corrected to avoid neurological complications later in life. At Sakra World Hospital, the early intervention along with quality surgery help in the success of such surgeries.

Thanking the experts at Sakra World Hospital, Rajesh shared, "Since childhood, my head deformity made me special and unique. But as I grew up, it became a matter of concern and so, we decided to get it rectified. While correcting the deformity at a younger age would have helped and had a better outcome, nonetheless, Dr Rajendra and his team has ensured the same result at my current age too. My family and I sincerely thank him and everyone at Sakra World Hospital for their help."