Safety Outcomes in Endoscopic Versus Open Repair of Metopic Craniosynostosis

Premature fusion of the metopic suture leads to a range of clinical presentations, with more severe patients presenting characteristically with trigonocephaly. Endoscopic-assisted correction of craniosynostosis is emerging as an alternative to the gold-standard open cranial vault remodeling. While there are several documented benefits of endoscopic correction, the management of craniosynostosis varies widely in the literature with little consensus as to the preferred timing and surgical technique for repair. The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety outcomes of endoscopic versus open surgery at our institution.

This retrospective cohort study included all patients diagnosed with metopic craniosynostosis who underwent open or closed surgical management and received at least 6 months of follow-up. Data extraction was performed via chart review and included demographic information and safety outcome variables.

During the study period, 17 patients who met our inclusion criteria were treated by the multidisciplinary craniofacial team at our institution. Eight patients underwent endoscopic surgery and 9 underwent open surgery. The mean age at surgery was significantly higher in the open surgery group than the endoscopic surgery group (13.7 months versus 2.3 months, respectively). Estimated blood loss, percent estimated blood volume lost, transfusion volume, procedure length, hospital length of stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay were all significantly higher in the open surgery group compared with the endoscopic group.

In our patient population, endoscopic surgery for metopic craniosynostosis had an improved safety profile versus open surgery based on reduced procedure length, estimated blood loss, volume of blood transfusion, and length of stay in the ICU and hospital.