saggital mommas

[dnholst867]

i was wondering how many saggital children had to have the helment therapy. the assistant at the our surgeons office said probly but then the surgeon said that he hopes not to ... neither one went into detail or said yes or no.... i guess i'm just curious... thanks
danielle

[EmmaLacey]

My daughter had sagittal surgery and no helmet was required. We knew that before surgery.

[Springy]

Libby have surgery for saggital synostosis and she did not require a helmet. Once they get the surgery it is not needed.

[Josephsmommy]

My sons surgery does not require helmet therapy. I'm hoping this all stays this way since he still has one more surgery to go.

[Tyler&Jakobsmommy]

what type of surgery? Both my boys had helmets.

[Candice]

Yes, as Holly is asking you, it depends on what type of surgery is planned. If it is just the strip craniectomy, they usually have to wear the helmet, if they do the strip craniectomy along with a CVR, it is usually not required.

[dnholst867]

Sorry its i havent answered sooner... he is having the strip and CVR. We kind of have mixed feelings about the helmet .. we dont want zach to have to wear it but we kinda want it for our own false sense of security (if that makes sense) thanks for your replies..
danielle

[Candice]

If he is having the CVR he most likely will not be wearing the helmet...as the CVR reconstructs the skull to the shape the PS wants it to be, a helmet is not needed to help mold it. Are you thinking of the helmet as protection??? The helmet is used to mold the skull not to protect it after surgery, kwim?

[dnholst867]

LOL. the protection thing is kind of a joke i suppose. we understand that its to help shape that is our first and for most concern and of course we dont want him to have to go thru that in addition to the sugery ... zach is starting to toddle a little and we have all wood floors...hence the false sense of security :P just not getting any real clear answer... the PS even said something about maybe considering a helment if he is going to go back to daycare ... not sure what he was getting at there??
danielle

[Jenny]

i cant directly answer your question, but we were told the helmet was to keep the bones from going back to their previous shape, until the bones were hard enough to hold shape.

[camsmom]

No helmet here. Dr. Fearon also told us at our 6wk post op appt. that the bone was already healed!

[Rhonda O]

Zachary didn't wear a helmet after surgery. We were never even told that a helmet was a possibility for him.

[sagittalmommy]

My son, Ian, has sagittal cranio. Both the plastic surgeon and the neuro surgeon said that after his surgery, he will have to wear a helmet for one year. Actually, the goal is to have him to wear it for 14 - 15 months. They said that this is to ensure that his head grows into the proper shape once the fused bone is removed. I feel that this is going to be pretty tough. But I don't want Ian to go through the surgery and not have the best results. If wearing a helmet for that long is what it takes, then so be it.

[amizzle]

Our son had the strip craniectomy and is about 6 months into his helmet therapy(he will wear it at least 12 months post op). We were nervous about the helmet before surgery, but it has been no big deal. So don't worry if you do end up with a helmet.

We were told the helmet helps keep the baby's head round, as the piece of bone removed grows back in. Our surgeon told us when the bone grows back the baby's head will want to revert back to long & narrow shape, so the helmet helps prevent this.

good luck

[mattricia]

Our PS doesn't use a helmet b/c he says so much putting on and taking off can "mess up" his work. That kind of freaked me out a bit, knowing it's that soft. I am so scared to even let Jack crawl around (not that he wants to right now...)!!!

How old is Zach, again? Sorry i forgot...

EDIT: Just after i posted this, i read Amy's comment about the skull wanting to "re-elongate". Our PS over-corrected in the roundness department (think Charlie Brown) so that when that elongation occurs over time, it will be proportionate, if that makes sense. Isn't it neat how they all address the same issues in different ways?

[Candice]

DING DING DING DING!!!! HELLOOOOO! You just set off a light bulb in my brain Tricia! THAT'S why all of us Sagittal mommys months post surgery are kind of worried about the loss of roundness. Kendall DID have a Charlie Brown head right after the surgery, now, not so much, but it's not "sagittal" at all, just not as ROOOUUNNDDD. Wow I'm such a dork. I guess we'll find out for sure in Kendall's case in two weeks, I can't wait, I just want to hear "she's fine".

[Tawnia]

Its the same thing as how they overdo the brow thing in metopics...so over time it all evens out :)

[Springy]

Okay update!!! Libby will be getting a helmet. Not for reconstruction because we are already three and half months post-op. Libby has some other issues going on right now that is causing her to fall alot! She is hitting her head all the time. So, the PS said until Neurology gets to the bottom of it she needs to use a helmet from time to time. Its a different type helmet too. So when we get it in a week I will take a picture so you can see it.

I am guessing that is why the PS said it about going back to daycare.

[camsmom]

I can't wait to see Miss Lib in her helmet! I hope yall get to the bottom of her issues!

[spoongirl10]

Our son had the endoscopic surgery and wears a helmet. It bothered him for about a week and now he is used to it.