OPERATIVE POSITIONING FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING REPAIR OF CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

A FURTHER MODIFICATION of our operative positioning protocol is presen ted, with several novel approaches to positioning that give only sligh tly less exposure than that obtained with the modified prone position, but that enable the entire cranial vault remodeling to be done in one operation. The addition of two techniques has obviated both the need to use the modified prone position (except in certain difficult cases) in recent years and the need to get preoperative cervical spine film evaluation. Two new operative positioning techniques that enable a lar ge calvarial exposure are described: one (the gel-filled collar techni que) focuses on the more anterior portion of the cranial vault, and th e other (the angled horseshoe technique) focuses on the posterior port ion; both provide an extensive exposure of the opposite portion of the calvarium.