Craniosynostosis: A multidisciplinary approach based on medical, social and demographic factors in a developing country

Abstract

Craniosynostosis refers to a great number of deformities associated with the premature fusion of cranial sutures. There are several types of synostoses, depending on the number of sutures affected and the involved regions. Surgery is indicated for functional and esthetic reasons. Although many surgical techniques have been described, the decision of the type of operation to be performed and the time of the procedure should be based on three pillars: the patient's clinical and tomographic features as well as social and demographic aspects; the expertise of the treating surgeons; and the resources available at the craniofacial center. The patient's outcome will be directly related to a structured management protocol, implemented by a multidisciplinary team, in which all team members should speak the same language. The main objective of this article is to describe the management protocol developed at a public tertiary level medical institution in Mexico.

Keywords

• Isolated craniosynostosis
• Syndromic craniosynostosis
• Craniosynostosis management protocol