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Understanding The Surgical Burden: A Retrospective Review Of Cumulative Interventions In Syndromic Craniosynostosis
Avery Apostle, BA1, Janey Lee, BS
2, Jenna Stelmar, BS
2, Lucy Sheahan, MD
3, Amanda Gosman, MD
3, Benjamin Massenburg, MD
3.
1California University of Science and Medicine, Colton, CA, USA,
2University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA,
3Division of Plastic Surgery; UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA.
PURPOSE: Syndromic craniosynostosis often requires multiple craniofacial surgeries spanning childhood and adolescence to address functional and aesthetic concerns. An understanding of the surgical burden faced by this patient population is essential to optimize care and surgical planning. This study aims to characterize the cumulative surgical interventions in patients with syndromic craniosynostosis.
METHODS: Retrospective chart review conducted for patients with syndromic craniosynostosis treated at a tertiary children’s hospital, minimum follow-up of 16 years. Demographic and surgical histories were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: Of 68 patients, 13 met the follow-up criteria (6 male, 7 female). Most had multisuture involvement (7, 53.8%), followed by bicoronal (4, 30.8%), metopic (1, 7.7%), and unicoronal (1, 7.7%). Median ages at first and last surgeries were 257 days (0.7 years) and 6.97 years, respectively. Patients underwent a median of 5 craniofacial procedures (range: 1-11) and 14 non-craniofacial procedures (range: 0-26), for a median of 18 total surgeries (range: 1-31) over the course of treatment (Figure 1 for breakdown).
CONCLUSION: Patients with syndromic craniosynostosis experience a substantial surgical burden, undergoing a median of 18 procedures from infancy through adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of long-term, multidisciplinary care and clear communication to guide expectations for patients and families.
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