Can the bump on my forehead (osteoma) be removed?

Hello and thank you for your question.  The best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  Osteomas can be removed using a small burr.  Insurance will usually cover the full cost of removal depending on your symptoms from this.  This decision should be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you and your surgeon.   Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results. 

Best wishes and good luck.


Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
 

Forehead osteomas are relatively simple to remove.  I usually use an endoscopic approach to avoid an incision on the face.  The incision is made behind the hairline, and the endoscope is used to advance under the bone lining down to the mass.  The mass usually chips off and separates relatively cleanly from the bone underneath.  I have used a rhinoplasty rasp or a small spinning burr to smooth the edges.   It usually heals quickly with no visible scar.  Good luck!

It is quite simple to remove but be prepared for a recurrence since the body has a great ability for the bone to do so in that area. A limited incision at or behind the hairline works simplistically.