Examining Sociodemographic Disparities in Diagnostic Delays and Surgical Management of Non-Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A 10-Year Review

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of sociodemographic factors on the surgical management and outcomes of patients with non-syndromic craniosynostosis, with a focus on delays in diagnosis and intervention.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingTertiary pediatric hospital.PatientsThree hundred seventy-three non-syndromic patients who underwent primary craniosynostosis surgery between 2013 and 2023.Main Outcome MeasuresPrimary outcomes included age at first specialty appointment, age at diagnosis, age at surgery, and type of surgery (CVR, open cranial vault remodeling; or ES + HT, endoscopic suturectomy + helmet therapy). Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, need for additional craniofacial procedures, and length of hospital stay.ResultsPatients undergoing CVR were older at the time of specialty appointments (median 6.6 vs. 1.9 months, P < 0.001), diagnosis (median 8.1 vs. 2.1 months, P < 0.001), and surgery (median 11.3 vs. 2.9 months, P < 0.001) compared to those undergoing ES + HT. When controlling procedure type and sociodemographic variables, private insurance was a predictor of earlier diagnosis (β=-3.06, 95% CI [-5.97, -0.16], P = 0.039) and earlier surgical intervention (β=-3.55, 95% CI [-6.67, -0.42], P = 0.026). Independent predictors of longer hospital stay included Hispanic ethnicity (β=0.45, 95% CI [0.03, 0.87], P = 0.035) and higher national Area Deprivation Index (ADI) score (β=0.014, 95% CI [0.008, 0.021], P < 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, complication rates and the need for additional craniofacial procedures did not differ significantly between ES + HT and CVR.ConclusionPatients with public insurance were more likely to experience a delay in diagnosis and, consequently, underwent a more invasive CVR procedure than privately insured patients. Hispanic ethnicity and higher ADI were associated with longer hospitalizations.