Objective: To study the structure, incidence and risk factors of perioperative complications in children with craniosynostosis (CS).

Methods: A systematic searching of data was performed for analysis of perioperative complications and adverse events following surgical correction of CS in patients younger 24 months. Systematic review included 33 manuscripts. The overall incidence of complications and adverse events was 9.8%. In patients after endoscopic surgeries, this rate was 7.2%, whereas open reconstructive surgeries were followed by 13.5% morbidity.

Conclusions: The most common surgical complications in pediatric craniosynostosis surgery were intraoperative blood loss requiring transfusion (35.7%), dural tears (3.8%), cerebrospinal fluid leaks (0.7%), hematomas (1.6%), and surgical site infections (1.6%). Non-surgical complications included non-surgical infections (1.1%), respiratory (1.2%) and neurological disturbances (0.5%). Fever (3.4%) is an undesirable phenomenon and can aggravate postoperative period after surgery for CS.