Endoscopic strip craniectomy: a minimally invasive treatment for early correction of craniosynostosis

Traditionally, surgical correction of craniosynostosis involves calvarial remodeling, large blood losses necessitating transfusions, hospital stays of several days, and less-than-satisfactory results. In this study, outcomes from a minimally invasive technique called endoscopic strip craniectomy, along with a postoperative molding helmet, to correct craniosynostosis in young infants were evaluated. The endoscopic strip craniectomy was performed on 185 patients with clinical signs of craniosynostosis, with the following distribution: 107 sagittal, 42 coronal, 37 metopic, and 7 lambdoid, for a total of 198 sutures. The mean blood loss was 29.4 cc, and only two patients underwent intraoperative blood transfusion. Fourteen patients underwent postoperative blood transfusion; none was life-threatening. There were no deaths, complications, neurological injuries, or infections. All but six patients were discharged on the first postoperative day. A majority of the patients achieved or approached normocephaly, and there were no complications. Neuroscience nurses need to be aware of this technique when they discuss treatment options with the families of infants with craniosynostosis.