Will A Sagittal Crest Skull Reduction Be Successful With My Head Shape?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hi there, I’ve actually messaged before concerning my issues with a crest/dip on my head. I am a yoing male and shave my head bald and feel very uncomfortable with its unique shape, especially the fact that the dip in my head really highlights the pointed crest toward the back (I definitely notice it more than others). I have some questions about potential surgery for reshaping these parts of my skull, and like I said, I’ve previously messaged (I think 2 years ago), although would again like to be informed in what kind of procedure I would undertake and the anticipated success of such a procedure. Would I need someone with me if I were to undertake this procedure or would I be okay in traveling alone? Apologies for so many questions, I do hope you can answer them with some confidence though. Any further questions I have I will ask at any possible further consultation. Thanks for your time.

A: Good to hear from you again. As you have correctly pointed out you have a combination of a posterior sagittal crest and an anterior coronal dip. (caused by the transversing coronal suture line) The key question is whether the sagittal crest could be reduced enough to eliminate the appearance of the coronal dip. This would require getting a CT scan to assess the thickness of the sagittal crest and evaluating how much bone could be safely reduced compared to the level of the coronal dip. If enough bone can be safely removed then a posterior sagittal crest skull reduction procedure would suffice. If not then the combination of a sagittal crest reduction with a coronal dip augmentation procedure is needed to get a smooth and confluent contour. Regardless of the skull reshaping procedure, this could be done with you traveling along which is how most of my international patients present.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana