Respiratory Improvement of Faciocraniosynostosis by Craniofacial Osteodistraction

Context. Faciocraniosynostoses present with an insufficient growth of the craniofacial skeleton due to premature fusion of skull and facial sutures. There are prenatal conditions with functional (risk of raised intracranial pressure) and morphological consequences (exorbitism, and impairment of upper respiratory airways), the severity of which justifies an early surgical treatment based on craniofacial osteotomies and osteodistraction techniques.

Distraction techniques were started in our unit eleven years ago, and never ceased to be modified: Recent improvements allowed better correction of exorbitism and therefore reduction of visual risks. But the improvements of the respiratory function remain insufficient. The initial evaluations of the respiratory functions were based on blood oxygenation monitoring, and showed real improvement. But we have routinely screened our patients with complete polysomnography examinations for the past year, and this has always revealed the existence of severe sleep apnea syndromes that we fail to correct completely, although there were slightly improved.

The aim of this PHRC protocol is :

• the qualitative and quantitative improvement of the respiratory status with a reinforced task force group including the specialists in genuine multidisciplinary approach.
• A modification of the surgical technique including modifications of the existing distraction devices, an increased number of implanted devices, and maybe a change in the surgical strategy.