What is Neuroplastic Surgery?

Cranioplasty is the surgical repair and artistic restoration of a skull bone defect left behind following a neurosurgical operation, a brain/skull tumor resection, and/or is acquired following head injury. There are different kinds of cranioplasties, but most involve lifting the scalp away and restoring the proper contour to the skull with either the original skull piece or a custom-contoured implant made from a variety of man-made materials. Common options include either titanium (in the form of a plate or mesh) or synthetic bone substitutes like polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or porous polyethylene. In instances where the patient has significant asymmetry following neurosurgical craniotomy, and the bone is somewhat preserved, then the most common option is to use liquid PMMA and screw fixation for a safe, long-term correction.