Baby survives a surgery where doctors replaced his skull like a puzzle

July 17, 2011

Liam Rustell is a baby of six months old who is recovering successfully after a surgery on the skull.

His skull was removed and replaced like a puzzle.

The little was born with a rare birth defect where his skull was not growing as it should, causing an abnormally shaped head.

According to doctors, “without the intervention, Liam could live with permanent brain damage”.

So it was informed to the parents of the child “to prevent the damage increase was necessary to cut his head and then paste it into parts with care”.

Joanna Jones, 26, Liam’s mother, said from her home in Plymouth, Devon: “It was traumatic, but the end result was just amazing”.

“When I heard about the surgery I had a shock, knowing that they would cut the skull of my son like a puzzle, I had to be very strong”.

“But Liam is happy now”. “He is completely fine and I hope he’ll develop normally and do not need a second operation”.

Liam was born with Sagittal synostosis, so some parts of his skull does not join in a timely manner and would end up with deformed head if not treated on time.

Liam underwent this surgery in Birmingham Children’s Hospital.