Can I have a cranial defect without cranial repair surgery?

The skull is located at the top of the human skeletal system, above the spine, and consists of 23 bones of different shapes and sizes, which are delicately articulated together to form a complete and closed cranial cavity that protects and supports the brain and the organs of the head and face. The importance of the skull to the human body cannot be overstated. However, risks and accidents exist everywhere, and the skull can be damaged by force majeure, and cranial defects are a common neurosurgical disorder. For example, traffic accidents, production safety accidents, falling objects, fights, cranio-cerebral surgery, etc. may damage the skull and eventually cause skull defects. This requires prompt cranial repair surgery. However, it is possible that some patients are still taking a chance. Previously, it was believed that the main purpose of skull repair surgery was that the repair material could protect the brain tissue, avoid brain tissue displacement (bulging, depression, etc.), reduce the pain caused by the skin pulling at the edge of the bone window, reduce the mental burden, and better integrate into the work and daily life, and so on. That is why many comatose patients wait until they wake up before considering cranial repair. The atmospheric pressure at the bone flap defect acts directly on the cerebral cortex at the defect, resulting in reduced blood flow to the brain tissue in the defective area, reduced cerebral metabolism, slower circulation of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid, aggravated early edema under the action of the pressure gradient, and prone to the formation of hydrocele. It is to affect the patient’s later recovery. So in the clinic we will observe that some patients’ recovery process becomes slow, the response is getting worse and worse, and even stagnation. That’s why comatose patients should also undergo cranial bone repair surgery as early as possible. If the skull repair surgery is not carried out in time, it will have a great impact on the aesthetic appearance, and in addition, if part of the skull is missing, the intracranial environment will change drastically, the intracranial pressure will be unstable, the cerebrospinal fluid circulation and cerebral blood circulation may be affected, and the neurological function of the cranium may be impaired, resulting in a series of cranial defect syndromes, which will affect the physical and mental health of the whole person. Another important point is the safety issue, if the head is not repaired in time, if the head is injured again, it may directly injure the brain tissue, and in serious cases, it may even directly endanger the life, which is very dangerous. Therefore, it is very necessary to do skull repair surgery in time.