Health

Rare procedure performed on infant at W&C Hospital

by Walter Pierce

Collin Landry was born earlier this year with what his father describes as a "crooked" nose that doctors and family initially attributed to his positioning in the womb. **IND Monthly Staff

November 2012**

Collin Landry was born earlier this year with what his father describes as a "crooked" nose that doctors and family initially attributed to his positioning in the womb.

But after weeks of watching the infant not reach for items and only roll over onto his left side, Collin's mother Dawn was convinced that her fourth child was not doing the routine things her other children did when they were Collin's age.

The observations from Collin's mother eventually led to a visit with Dr. Darric Baty, a pediatric neurosurgeon with the Kids Specialty Center on the Women's & Children's Hospital campus.

Collin was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a premature fusing of a suture in his skull. The skull of an infant is made up of bony plates that allow for growth, the borders of which are called sutures. Suture lines typically fuse by age 3.

Prematurely fused suture lines can lead to neurological issues, Baty explains, with complications including increased intracranial pressure, irritability, vomiting, headaches, eye movement issues and developmental delays.

The solution for Collin was a nearly five-hour surgery performed by Baty and Dr. Hugo St. Hilaire, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in craniofacial surgery. The procedure, performed on Sept. 11, marked the first time the procedure had been conducted at Women's & Children's Hospital.

Collin had a unilateral left coronal ridge, which means the suture line on the front, left side of his skull was fused and a ridge began to form. An incision was made across the crown of the head from ear to ear. The skin, muscles and nerves of his forehead were peeled back from the skull down to just below the eyebrow ridge.

Baty removed the front portion of Collin's skull in pieces. St. Hilaire reconstructed and reshaped the bones.
Collin, now 9 months old, sat in his mother's arms in Baty's office on Oct. 23, there for his first visit with Baty and St. Hilaire since his surgery in September. His blonde locks grew to cover his surgical scar. And, his smile is even bigger and more addictive than before.