Single incision endoscope-assisted surgery for sagittal craniosynostosis

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to present the novel technique and associated results of a single-incision endoscope-assisted procedure for the treatment of sagittal craniosynostosis.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of infants who underwent single-incision endoscope-assisted sagittal craniectomy for craniosynostosis at our institution. Demographic data collected included patient age, blood loss, operative time, pre- and post-operative hemoglobin, pre- and post-operative cephalic index (CI), and hospital length of stay.

RESULTS: Seven consecutive infants underwent surgery for sagittal craniosynostosis using a single-incision endoscopic technique. Average operative time was 87 (±10.5) minutes. Average blood loss was 32 (±13.5) cubic centimeters (cc). Post-operative hemoglobin was an average of 7.1 (±0.2) g/dL. No patients required a blood transfusion intra-operatively or in the post-operative setting. Dural tears were encountered in one patient. The average hospital length of stay was 1.4 (±1.1) days. Difference between pre- and post-operative CI was 8.4 % (±3.5; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the novel use of a single-incision technique for endoscope-assisted sagittal craniosynostosis correction that improves upon the classically described surgical procedure by decreasing invasiveness, while allowing for excellent clinical outcomes.