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I would seriously caution you against basing your choice of surgeon primarily upon whether or not he/she will be using an endoscopic approach.

In fact, if my surgeon recommended an endoscopic approach, I would DEFINITELY obtain a 2nd opinion. The endoscopic approach is reasonable in certain scenarios, but it has its disadvantages. For one, the repair you get may not last, as the endoscopic method limits the amount (width, really) of bone that can be removed. So the risk is that only a small strip can be removed, then the bones grow back together and fuse, and ya'll are back to square one.

Secondly, the limited incisions "handcuff" the surgeons ability to maneuver, which can lead to a longer operation. This is particularly true when trying to perform endoscopic procedures of any kind around a curved surface, such as the back of the skull.

Finally, the visibility is inherently limited by the scope. This creates a higher risk for bleeding.

Long story short, endoscopic suture release has a narrow application. The traditional method is tried and true, so don't let the thought of "more invasive" (as compared to endoscopic) deceive you into doubting its efficacy and safety.

Thanks for that tip.

That's the kind of info you can't really find online amongst the marketing for alternative methods. It's just been difficult for us to see the upside of the "tried and true" method, when it appears to involve a blood transfusion and 7 extra nights in a hospital. At the end of the day, though, I just want whatever has the lowest risk of complications and the highest chance of success. Not sure if I can have both.

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As frustrating as this has to be for you, thats actually an encouraging implication. If your child's condition was severe/emergent, I guarantee they would have had you come in that day. Neurosurgeons take elevated intracranial pressure very, very, very seriously, and they will operate any hour of the day/night/weekend/holiday to fix it.

I hope that is the case, but I haven't even received confirmation that the images have been looked at by a trained eye at this point, only that the files are finally at the correct location.