Open versus endoscopic surgery with helmet molding therapy in non-syndromic patients with craniosynostosis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical outcomes and treatment-related costs.

Objective: There is an ongoing debate regarding the optimal treatment for craniosynostosis as diverse factors influence the election between endoscopic and open surgery. Previous evidence favors endoscopic procedures. However, evidence remains unfulfilled by a limited number of patients and clustered in very few centers worldwide making it difficult to define it as a replicable technique in different populations. In recent years, evidence regarding endoscopic-assisted procedures has gone through a considerable spurt showing an increased interest among surgeons globally showing optimal outcomes in different populations and centers. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we performed an updated analysis of previous reviews, including only non-syndromic patients. We also seek to provide a summary of the tendency of treatment observed in the literature. Similarly, this is the first study to include total costs within its analysis.

Material and methods: Three previous meta-analyses published in 2018 yielded 11 eligible papers. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases through PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid to fill the gap of information between 2018 and 2024. Twenty-three total articles were included in the final analysis.

Results: Variables analyzed were baseline characteristics, length of stay, blood loss, transfusion rates and volume, operative time, and costs. The analysis of data concluded a younger age at surgery in patients undergoing endoscopic surgery (p ≤0.00001). Blood loss, transfusion rates, and volumes depicted favored outcomes for endoscopy with less blood loss during surgery (p ≤0.00001), operative time (p ≤0.00001), and transfusion rates (p ≤0.00001) as well as lower transfused volumes (p ≤0.00001).

Conclusion: Endoscopic surgery carries fewer complications than open surgery. Treatment-related costs are highly decreased in endoscopic procedures after including costs related to outpatient care. Open surgery can be considered in older children if no endoscope or experienced surgeons in endoscopic procedures are available.