Can My Occipital Bun Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am a 28-year-old male with a protruding occipital bone (I don’t know what caused it, maybe it was caused by my sleeping position when I was born?). This caused me some troubles. I consulted online at a hospital in China, and the doctor’s answer was that surgery was not recommended because it was too dangerous. So I found your organization on Google and saw that you have many surgical cases for reducing large occipital masses, so I would like to get your advice. I don’t know if the consultation is charged, and I hope to get your reply. Thank you

A: You have what appears to be either a large occipital knob or a small occipital bun skull deformity. It can safely be significantly reduced as the thickness of the skull bone in this area is usually sufficient to do so. (see attached image)  I also check a lateral skull film first to be sure the bone is thick enough to do so but to date it always has been. What is interesting is that in the many hundreds of all forms of occipital reductions that I have done I don’t recall ever having an Asian patient. I think this is because the genetic tendency in most Asian skulls is one of occipital flattening as opposed to a protrusion. But regardless of its less comon occurrence in the Asian skull its successful reduction can still be achieved.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon