Diagrams of infant skull with types of craniosynostosis.
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Updates with craniosynostosis care in Chicago at Lurie Children's Hospital will be coming soon!
Telemedicine or in-person appointments are readily available the same week. Call 312 227 4220 to make an appointment. In general, this is my philosophy on the care of children with craniosynostosis: Care is individualized for each child's condition, and age at the time of evaluation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. We all want the best for our children; I strive to help parents make the right choices for their children. We are in the journey together. Thoughtful and skilled surgeons are a must. We handle all craniosynostosis evaluations together in a team-based approach. In the minority of cases associated with genetic syndromes, it is imperative to have coordinated care with multiple subspecialties. With this in mind, we designed multidisciplinary craniosynostosis clinic to be planned around each patient's needs. Craniosynostosis 101
Answers to commonly asked questions. Craniosyno-what? blog post
Read what one courageous mom has to share about her baby's and her family's experience. |
We arm families with information. This website contains materials I developed in my former practice in Texas. Updated Lurie materials to come!
I aim to make the process better for every child and family. Our program also supports a lot of formal quality improvement work.
New content is continually being developed based on family feedback:
Helmet Frequently Asked Questions (Helmet FAQ blog post here)
What to bring to the hospital for your baby's stay after surgery (Hospital packing list blog post here)
Preparing for the day of surgery (blog post here)
What to bring to the hospital for your baby's stay after surgery (Hospital packing list blog post here)
Preparing for the day of surgery (blog post here)
helmet FAQs: positional plagiocephaly
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helmet FAQs: craniosynostosis surgery
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Lurie postop plans coming soon!
For reference, here are the materials I developed in my former practice.
For reference, here are the materials I developed in my former practice.
Postoperative care plans (specific to the type of surgery):
Download the pdf for endoscopic surgery here.
Download the pdf for open sagittal synostosis surgery here.
Download the pdf for frontal orbital advancement surgery here.
Download the pdf for information about posterior cranial vault distraction here.
Download the pdf for posterior vault distraction daily checklist here.
Check back often for more!
I recently met with Erica Mossholder, the Executive Director of the Children's Craniofacial Association. Check out the CCA website the terrific work our non-profit partner is doing to empower children and families of kids with craniofacial differences.
I love the #ChooseKind movement, inspired by the child and the story in the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
Download the pdf for endoscopic surgery here.
Download the pdf for open sagittal synostosis surgery here.
Download the pdf for frontal orbital advancement surgery here.
Download the pdf for information about posterior cranial vault distraction here.
Download the pdf for posterior vault distraction daily checklist here.
Check back often for more!
I recently met with Erica Mossholder, the Executive Director of the Children's Craniofacial Association. Check out the CCA website the terrific work our non-profit partner is doing to empower children and families of kids with craniofacial differences.
I love the #ChooseKind movement, inspired by the child and the story in the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
Online forumThe awesome moms and dads share their experience on online forums to help other parents.
Treating physicians not allowed! |
TelemedicineLurie Children's Pediatric Neurosurgery offers Telemedicine or in-person appointments to get you connected to expert teams who will help make diagnoses, answer questions, and develop care plans.
Often in single suture craniosynostosis, an experienced surgeon will be able to make the diagnosis by visual examination, which makes Telemedicine a perfect way to connect while keeping your baby safe at home. |
Care packagesCare packages from this inspiring charitable organization run by 2 moms are delivered to our patients undergoing surgery. Learn more.
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Postoperative care plans
Post-operative Care Plans (specific to the type of procedure) are in patient hospital rooms, to keep everyone on track for recovery after surgery. The specific plan appears on a poster board in each patient's room after the corresponding type of surgery.
Download the pdf for endoscopic surgery here.
Download the pdf for open sagittal synostosis surgery here. |
Download the pdf for frontal orbital advancement surgery here.
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Head shape evaluationsOur team for plagiocephaly evaluation is here for pediatricians and families. The head shape clinic starts with distinguishing between positional plagiocephaly and craniosynostosis. We give pediatricians and families with the peace of mind to make the correct diagnosis, and help families through the treatment process. STAR scans (2D laser surface tracings) are used to objectively track improvement without any radiation exposure.
Expert helmet orthotistLurie Children's Hospital has an orthotics specialist who works with the Neurosurgery and Plastic Surgery team, so you do not have to go anywhere else! He is in close, constant contact with the surgery team, so questions about adjustment are streamlined for you.
For families who are going through the helmet process, here are some examples of helmet pattern choices. |
Patient stories in the news
Little Kinley was attacked by grandpa's dog, leaving her with a serious brain injury and complex skull defects. It has been an incredible journey with Kinley and her family. Her parents share their story of hope and recovery on ABC news [Toddler goes home after year-long recovery from dog attack]. They have come so far since the initial dog attack; her father shared the story with ABC news the year prior [Dog viciously attacks baby girl from Houston].