Cranioplasty With Customized Craniofacial Implants and Intraoperative Resizing for Single-Stage Reconstruction...

Craniectomies requiring skull reconstruction are indicated following oncological resection of masses involving the underlying brain and/or skull. Immediate cranioplasties have previously been performed using suboptimal hand-bending or molding techniques using "off - the - shelf" products. Today with computer - aided design, customized craniofacial implants have become widely available for personalized reconstruction of resected bone and soft tissue. We present here the largest series to date of single stage reconstruction using alloplastic biomaterials in consecutive patient series with oversized customized implants.

A single-surgeon, retrospective, 8-year study was conducted on all consecutive patients undergoing single stage cranioplasty with prefabricated implants using a myriad of biomaterials. All outcomes were analyzed in detail and compared with previous studies utilizing similar alloplastic implants.

In total, 56 patients underwent resection of skull neoplasms and subsequent cranioplasty reconstruction using customized implants. The most common neoplasms were meningiomas (39%). The most common complications seen among patients were dehiscence - (7%), and extrusion of implant - (3.5%). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between patients who had postoperative chemotherapy/radiotherapy versus those that did not (22.2% versus 13.1%, P = 0.39). One-year follow-up revealed acceptable cranial contour and symmetry in all 56 cases.

This is a consecutive case series of prefabricated single-stage cranioplasty, following resection of brain tumors with bone extension or skull bone neoplasm, demonstrating excellent results with regards to safety and patient satisfaction. There are several advantages such as comprehensive resection and reconstruction plan using 3D models, shorter operative time, and better restoration of complex anatomy.