Will Burring My Larger Occipital Side (Occipital Reduction) Make The Back Of My Head More Round?

Q: Dr. Eppley, my right occipital bone is a little bigger than left, maybe 4mm I think. It doesn’t bother me that much but when I think about this I feel “sad”. My head otherwise is round and overall good. My right back is but a little bit back. I don’t want to use a 3D Implant, its possible with a drill to make it round? Because I have afraid of using a 3D Implant and not getting a “normal life”, and if happens something in the future with the 3D Implant? Thank you!

A: Leaving the misconception of the long term effects of skull implants aside, whether a reduction on the bigger right occipital side (occipital reduction) may suffice to make it rounder I can not say without seeing pictures. But as a general statement usually reducing the bigger occipital skull side is not enough to make it more round in most cases. If the true difference between the two sides was 4mms it may. But often if the head shape difference between the two sides is noticeable on the outside it is bigger than it looks on the inside. Only a 3D skull CT scan can provide a definitive answer to the actual bony thickness differences between the two sides.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana