The skull does grow back after a craniotomy and the bone flap mends itself over time and then partially heals back into the rest of your skull bone within 2 to 3 months.
However full recovery from a craniotomy can take a few months depending on the underlying condition that was treated.
Cranioplasty is not considered brain surgery as it does not involve surgery on the brain.
However with a cranioplasty the surgeon does repair your skull such as for skull fractures or deformities.
So during the cranioplasty the surgeon will need to cut into your skull and head to fix the issues but they don't work on your brain.
A brain surgeon would perform brain surgery which is even more complex.
The medical term Craniofacial means abnormalities which are birth defects that causes defects in the head or face and relates to the bones and skull of the face.
Some types of of Craniofacial abnormalities are cleft lip and palate.
Craniofacial microsomia is a condition in which half of one side of the face is underdeveloped and does not grow normally.
“Hemifacial” means one side of the face. “Microsomia” means smallness.
The causes of craniofacial is from the result of an infant's skull or facial bones fusing together too soon or in an abnormal way.
When the infants facial bones fuse together too early, the brain can become damaged as it grows and cannot expand properly, and the infant may develop neurological problems.
The most common symptom of a facial injury is changes in the feeling over your face.
Also difficulty breathing through your nose as a result of bleeding and swelling is also another common symptom of a facial injury.
The most serious complication of facial trauma is airway obstruction which is life threatening and the most serious.
Facial Trauma can also cause facial deformities if it's serious enough.
Facial trauma can involve facial bleeding, swelling, bruising, lacerations, cuts, burns and deformity.
Computed tomography (CT) is the main imaging method used to assess a person with facial trauma, since it allows doctors to visualize bone and soft tissues.
Trauma can change your face and severe trauma can cause facial deformities.
People who have gotten into car wrecks and serious car crashes, vehicle crashes or had severe injuries have gotten facial deformities.
The facial deformities from trauma may be severe or only minor.
The disorders that result in facial abnormalities are.
Treacher Collins.
Hemifacial Microsomia/Goldenhar Syndrome.
Facial Cleft.
Facial Paralysis.
Craniosynostosis.
Crouzon Syndrome.
Cleft Lip/Palate.
Apert Syndrome.
Facial deformity is a deformination in the growth of the facial bones and head bones.
Facial deformity can occur through trauma as well as be present at birth.
The facial deformities may be either congenital or acquired.
In the congenital deformities, form, size and function are disturbed during the course of development, whereas in the acquired deformities parts of the face are lost by surgery or trauma.
Occlusion is always affected in deformities of the central and lower thirds of the face.
Craniofacial malformations, including craniosynostosis, are the result of an infant's skull or facial bones fusing together too soon or in an abnormal way.
When the bones fuse together too early, the brain can become damaged as it grows and cannot expand properly, and the infant may develop neurological problems.
Specific defects that may appear within the various parts of the face include: Cleft lip: Upper lip is split and/or separated.
Cleft palate: A gap in the palate or roof of the mouth.
Craniosynostosis: Skull bones prematurely fused.
Face Defects / Deformities, also known as Facial Defects / Deformities are deformities in the growth of the skull and facial bones.
These are congenital deformities (present at birth) and can be corrected by reconstructive surgery.
Facial Deformities are present in about 2% of births.
Some deformities improve without treatment within a few days, but others need to be treated. , which are substances known to cause birth defects).
A malformation can also be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Some ways to fix facial deformities are.
Fillers. Inserting a “soft filler” into your face by way of an injection may correct the appearance of facial asymmetry.
Facial implants. If your face is asymmetrical because of your skeletal structure, you may consider implants.
Rhinoplasty.