Total Cranial Vault Remodelling Versus Minimally Invasive Suturectomy With Postoperative Helmet Therapy in Sagittal Craniosynostosis

Different surgical techniques have been explored over time to treat children with scaphocephaly. The objective of this study is to compare morbidity and cosmetic outcomes in total cranial vault remodelling (TCVR) and minimally invasive suturectomy with postoperative helmet therapy (MISPH) in patients with scaphocephaly. The authors performed a retrospective comparative cohort study, including 43 patients with isolated sagittal craniosynostosis who underwent TCVR (n=17) or MISPH (n=26) at the Antwerp University Hospital between April 2008 and December 2022. MISPH was associated with significantly shorter procedure duration (TCVR 199 ± 48 min, MISPH 69 ± 12 min, P <0.001), decreased blood loss (TCVR 610 ± 298 mL, MISPH 85 ± 73 mL, P <0.001) and lower transfusion rate (TCVR 100%, MISPH 54%, P <0.001). Mean length of stay at the intensive care unit and the hospital were significantly shorter after MISPH (TCVR 6 ± 1 d, MISPH 3 ± 0.5 d). The change in CI after TCVR was significantly larger than after MISPH during the first postoperative year. However, the CI in the MISPH group was significantly higher during the first year compared with the TCVR group. Mean CI of the MISPH group reached normal limits during the first year, while in the TCVR group, mean CI reached normal values 5 years after surgery. The authors could not find a statistically significant difference in cosmetic outcome between the 2 groups. The authors conclude that MISPH is associated with decreased morbidity and comparable cosmetic results when compared with TCVR in the treatment of scaphocephaly.