**3. Complications**

There are a wide range of surgical complications that can present following the above mentioned procedures. The primary complications can be summarized in **Table 5**.

Esparza et al. discuss the various complications they found in a review of 283 cases. Mortality was very low with only 2 of their 283 patients reported death 1 year following the procedure with the cause of death owing more to the patient's syndrome


#### **Table 5.**

*Surgical complications associated with surgical treatment of craniosynostosis.*

*A Review of Current Surgical Approaches and Diagnostic Features Associated… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108685*

#### **Figure 5.**

*3 month old with Pfeiffer syndrome. Cloverleaf skull [A]. GLobe herniation on Valsalva maneuver [B]. Post Op following fronto-facial distraction [C] [D]. Unfortunately, the patient died 18 months later due to infection related to tracheostomy [13].*

than the actual procedure itself. The most common complications involved postoperative hyperthermia (13.43%) and cranial infection (7.3%). Other less frequent complications included CSF leaking, dura tears, and hematomas. Relapses occured in 11.56% of their cases which is a similar figure reported in other case studies. There is a significantly higher infection rate associated with relapse patients. Overall, 85% of their patients had successful outcomes, while negatively reported outcomes associated with those patients who had craniofacial syndromes. **Figure 5** portrays a case of a patient with Pfieffer syndrome who unfortunately died due to postoperative infection from the tracheostomy performed [13].

### **4. Conclusion**

As craniosynostosis is a disorder that affects the development of the skull, the entire face is negatively impacted, which is evidenced by the treatment plan and treatment length that patients must face. The diagnostic and surgical approaches that we can take in order to remedy this disorder are wide and varied such as the joint surgical orthodontic approach. Overall, it is important to recognize the diagnostic features associated with craniosynostosis in order to plan the patient for the optimal form of care. While mortality is low, all the various craniosynostosis surgical techniques offer a wide range of complications that need to be understood and managed by the operator. Regular post-operative and long term followup can help ensure success of the operation.
