Swelling is a normal part of surgery, and your child may have significant swelling of the face and over the eyes. Swelling is usually worst on the second day after surgery; mild swelling is part of the expected post-operative recovery and may persist for weeks.

A child who has had an endoscopic suturectomy will wear a helmet to guide the skull bones into place following surgery – meaning your child’s head shape will not look different immediately after the surgery. The shape will be corrected gradually, as the brain expands and the helmet does its job.

Children who have cranial vault remodeling will look different right after the surgery, since the skull bones have been surgically moved into the correct position.

Remember that the goal of any craniosynostosis surgery is to help your child attain a normal head shape while alleviating potential detrimental effect of craniosynostosis. Whichever option you choose, and whether the correction is immediate or more gradual, the end result is the same: a normal head shape.  

More about endoscopic surgery for craniosynostosis