How is it performed?

Open surgery

• Before the surgery starts, general anaesthesia is administered.
• An incision is made over the top of the head, from just above one ear to just above the other ear.
• A flap of skin, tissue and muscle below the skin, and the tissue covering the bone are loosened and raised up so the surgeon can see the bone.
• A strip of bone is usually removed where two sutures connect. This is called a strip craniectomy.
• Sometimes, bones that are left in place need to be shifted or moved and sometimes, the bones around the eyes are cut and reshaped.
• Bones are fastened using small plates with screws.
• Surgery usually takes 3 to 7 hours.

Minimally-invasive surgery

• A newer kind of surgery is used for some children.
• The surgeon makes one or two small cuts in the scalp, usually above the area where the bone needs to be removed.
• The endoscope is passed through the small cuts. The scope allows the surgeon to view the area being operated on.
• Using special instruments, the surgeon removes portions of bone through these cuts.
• This surgery usually takes about 1 hour.
• Most children need to wear a special helmet to protect their head for a period of time after surgery.