Craniosynostosis Surgery in Istanbul: A Guide for Parents

What Is Craniosynostosis?

Craniosynostosis means one or more seams (sutures) in a baby's skull close too early. The skull cannot grow along a closed seam, but the brain keeps growing. So the head grows in other directions and takes on an unusual shape.

Treatment for true craniosynostosis is usually surgery in the first year of life. It gives the brain room to grow and corrects the head shape. In the first months, a smaller endoscopic operation with a helmet afterward is often possible.

However, most odd head shapes in babies come from lying in one position. This flat head needs no surgery, so the first step is a careful exam. For other conditions in babies, see our pediatric neurosurgery guide.

Craniosynostosis at a Glance

• What closes earlyOne or more seams between the skull bones
• Most common typeSagittal, which makes the head long and narrow
• Flat head from lyingFar more common, and it needs no surgery
• Endoscopic surgerySmall cuts in the first months, then a helmet
• Open reshapingUsually from about 6 months, rarely with a helmet
• Flying homeUK guidance: about 7 days after neurosurgery

Where Are You in Your Decision?

First, pick the line that fits you. Each one then jumps to the matching part of this guide.

1. 01You noticed an unusual head shapeA flat head from lying, or a closed seam?→
2. 02A doctor named a type of craniosynostosisSagittal, metopic, coronal, lambdoid or syndromic→
3. 03You worry about pressure on the brainSigns that need a doctor the same day→
4. 04You are weighing endoscopic or open surgeryTiming, the helmet and the main differences→
5. 05Your baby already has a surgery dateRecovery, helmet care and long-term follow-up→
6. 06You are planning treatment in IstanbulHospital stay, flying with a baby and care at home→

Signs of Craniosynostosis in Babies

Parents usually notice an odd head shape in the first months, often in photos from above. The shape then depends on which seam closed early.

Questions at this stage

Flat Head or Craniosynostosis? How Doctors Tell Them Apart

Most flat heads come from pressure on a soft skull, not from a closed seam. Doctors call this positional plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome. It is common, and it usually improves without surgery.

From behind, the two can look alike. Seen from above, however, they differ in several ways.

What Helps a Flat Head

Keep your baby sleeping on the back, as that lowers the risk of sudden infant death. Then give plenty of tummy time during waking hours, and always stay close. Also switch sides when you feed or carry your baby.

Some babies always turn the head the same way, because one neck muscle is tight (torticollis). For them, a physiotherapist teaches gentle stretches. The NHS, however, does not provide helmets for flat head syndrome, since evidence for them is weak.

Types of Craniosynostosis

Doctors name each type after the seam that closed early. Each one, in turn, gives the head a typical shape.

Several Seams and Syndromic Craniosynostosis

Sometimes more than one seam closes early. In this complex form, pressure inside the skull rises more often.

In some babies, a gene change also affects the face, hands or feet. Examples include Crouzon, Apert, Pfeiffer and Saethre-Chotzen syndromes.

These children often need several operations over the years. So specialists in eyes, ears, breathing, teeth and genetics work as one team. Some also develop hydrocephalus or a Chiari malformation, which need separate checks.

Metopic Ridge or Metopic Craniosynostosis?

Some babies have a small bony ridge down the middle of the forehead. On its own, it is usually a cosmetic matter and often fades, MedlinePlus notes. In contrast, metopic craniosynostosis also narrows the forehead into a triangle.

Does Craniosynostosis Affect the Brain?

Often not, especially when only one seam closes. Still, a closed seam can limit space for the growing brain. So doctors watch three things.

Pressure Inside the Skull

High pressure rarely follows one closed seam, but several seams make it more likely. If it lasts, it can harm vision and development. So the doctor also checks the eyes for a swollen optic nerve.

Speech, Learning, Hearing and Sight

Most children with one closed seam develop normally. However, some types can lead to speech delays or learning difficulties, the NHS notes. Syndromic forms can also affect hearing, sight and breathing.

For this reason, development checks continue into the school years.

Appearance and Confidence

Head shape matters for more than looks. A clearly uneven head or face can affect how a child feels later. Uneven eye sockets can also disturb how vision develops.

When to See a Doctor About Your Baby's Head

An unusual head shape needs a calm check, not an emergency visit. Signs of raised pressure, however, need care the same day.

Call 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK or 112 in Europe. Other causes can bring these signs, such as hydrocephalus or, rarely, a brain tumor in children.

A head that grows too fast points more toward hydrocephalus. Craniosynostosis, in contrast, mainly changes the shape.

How Doctors Diagnose Craniosynostosis

Diagnosis starts with an exam, and many babies need only that and one scan. The doctor looks at the head from all sides, feels the seams and measures it.

Which Scans Your Baby May Need

In young babies, an ultrasound can show the seams without radiation. A skull X-ray is another option.

A low-dose CT scan with 3D images, however, shows the closed seam most clearly. It also helps plan surgery.

An MRI looks at the brain itself when the doctor suspects another problem. An eye exam then checks for signs of high pressure. Genetic tests also help when the face, hands or feet look different.

Craniosynostosis Surgery: Endoscopic or Open?

Surgery is the main treatment for true craniosynostosis. It gives the brain room to grow and improves the head shape. Some mild cases, however, only need regular checks, the NHS notes.

Prof. Albayrak uses two main approaches: endoscopic surgery with a helmet, and open skull reshaping. He chooses by age, the closed seam and the degree of the shape change.

Timing: Why Age Matters

In the first months, the skull bones are thin and soft. The fast-growing brain then helps mold the new shape. So most babies have surgery in the first year of life.

The endoscopic approach works well mainly in about the first 3-4 months. Open reshaping usually takes place between about 6 months and 1 year. Older children can still have open surgery, although results then vary more.

Endoscopic Strip Craniectomy With a Helmet

The surgeon makes one or two small cuts in the scalp. Through them, a thin camera (endoscope) helps remove a strip of bone along the closed seam.

Afterward, the growing brain reshapes the skull, and a custom helmet guides that growth. So the helmet forms part of the treatment, not an extra. Blood loss also stays small, and many babies go home after 1-2 days.

Open Cranial Vault Remodeling

In open surgery, the cut usually runs across the top of the head, from ear to ear. The surgeon then removes the affected bones, reshapes them and fixes them back in place.

Dissolvable plates often hold the bones while they heal. A blood transfusion is more often necessary, and the hospital stay usually lasts 3-5 days. In return, the surgeon sets the new shape directly, so most children need no helmet.

For seams near the face, the forehead and brow may also move forward. A neurosurgeon often works with a plastic (craniofacial) surgeon on this operation.

Options for Complex Cases

Several closed seams or a syndrome may need surgery in stages. Other options then include a distraction device or springs that widen the skull over weeks.

Endoscopic and Open Surgery Compared

Risks of Craniosynostosis Surgery

Every operation carries risks, and your surgeon explains which ones apply to your baby. Most relate to bleeding, infection and the shape over time.

• Bleeding: the main concern in open surgery
• Infection: uncommon, but the wound needs careful care
• Spinal fluid leak: possible if the thin membrane under the bone tears
• Low body temperature: small babies lose heat fast
• Return of the old shape: more likely if a seam closes again
• Gaps in the bone: most fill in over time; a few need a later repair

The helmet can also cause skin redness or sores. So check the skin each time you take it off.

Surgery works on the skull bone, not on the brain itself. Even so, the team watches your baby closely in intensive care after the operation.

Recovery, Helmet Care and Long-Term Follow-Up

Babies often recover faster than parents expect. Swelling around the eyes, however, can look worrying in the first days.

Recovery Timeline

Living With the Helmet

After endoscopic surgery, the helmet usually stays on about 23 hours a day. MedlinePlus notes that babies often wear it for the first year. You take it off for bathing and skin checks.

As the head grows, an orthotist adjusts the helmet or makes a new one. So plan regular helmet visits for months, wherever you live.

Long-Term Follow-Up

Check-ups follow the head size, the shape and the eyes. They come every few weeks at first and then less often, the NHS notes.

Children with a syndrome or several closed seams need follow-up into their teens. Some may also need speech therapy, dental care or more surgery later.

Coming to Istanbul from the US, Canada, the UK or Europe

The hospital stay is short, but the helmet phase lasts months. So plan the trip and the care at home together, before you book.

How Long to Stay

First come the consultation, the scan and checks before anesthesia. Then follow the operation and 1-5 days in hospital, depending on the approach. After that, you rest nearby until a check before the flight.

After endoscopic surgery, the helmet also needs a scan and a fitting. UK aviation guidance advises about 7 days between neurosurgery and flying. So plan around two weeks in Istanbul, and keep your return date flexible.

Flying With Your Baby

Your surgeon confirms the flight date at a final check. Ask the airline for a bassinet seat, and keep the helmet with you. Feeding during take-off and landing can also ease ear pressure.

Helmet Care and Follow-Up at Home

Before you travel, find a team at home to take over. This means a pediatrician and, after endoscopic surgery, an orthotist who can adjust the helmet.

Before you leave, ask for a discharge summary, copies of the scans and the helmet details. The CDC also advises taking copies of all new records home.

In England, the NHS runs four specialist craniosynostosis centers, so ask your GP about follow-up. In the US, insurers differ on helmet cover, so ask in writing. Canadian families should check with their provincial health plan and private insurer before booking.

For insurance, Medicare, the NHS and visas, see our guide to surgery in Turkey.

Your Baby's Neurosurgeon in Istanbul

Prof. Dr. Serdar Baki Albayrak

Neurosurgeon · Craniosynostosis Surgery in Babies and Children

Prof. Albayrak treats craniosynostosis with endoscopic surgery and a helmet, or with open skull reshaping. He recommends either one only after examining the baby in person. His published work also includes a review of surgery for tethered cord syndrome in childhood.

He completed his neurosurgery training at Istanbul University in 2004. Clinical fellowships then followed at the University of Helsinki and Harvard Medical School. Consultations take place in English or Turkish.

27+Years

5,000+Operations

64Countries

33Publications

Figures from Prof. Albayrak's professional profile, September 2026. See his full publication list.

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