My son wore a cranial band (helmet), issued from another orthotics company, for about 8 weeks when he outgrew it. I was not satisfied with the final cephalic index (CI) numbers and thought he could use another band.
I sought out Hanger Clinic for a second opinion. I had a consult with Sydney, who is the orthoticist who works with clients needing cranial bands. She listened to my concerns, was professional, and took the time to scan my son's head.
I understood that it's difficult to improve cephalic index (CI) on individuals with brachycephaly (short, wide head), but wanted their estimation on what type of improvement my son could see with a second band. My thought was that if they could make improvements, I was fine paying out-of-pocket since I knew insurance would not cover a second band. I want to do the absolute best for my son, and there's only a small window where helmeting is an option: it's now or never. Sydney consulted their engineering team and got back to me, stating that they could likely improve it by 6mm. 6mm is pretty significant, so I agreed to go ahead with the helmet and was actually excited about the potential improvement (though not excited about several more months of sweaty helmet head, but whatever..)! Sydney placed the order for them to begin manufacturing it.
There ended up being an issue with my pediatrican's office not sending the required paperwork. I ended up having to go in because they wanted to see my son. At that visit, the nurse practitioner called Sydney to get some more information. When she (NP) returned, she stated that Sydney told her that she wasn't sure why I was going through with the second band, and that I likely wouldn't see any improvement. This was an absolute SHOCK to me, since that was NOT communicated to me, ever. I was told that the expected CI improvement was 6mm! I would never be wiling to pay out-of-pocket ($1,500) for NO results!
I really don't understand how all of that occurred, but obviously I backed out and told Sydney that I would not longer be pursuing a helmet. She was professional the entire time. It stinks, because I really liked her and thought we were on the same page with improving my son's Cephalic Index with another helmet. I don't understand how I was told one thing, and the nurse practitioner was told another. Luckily the issue occurred where the nurse practitioner had to call, because she ended up saving me the cost and headache of a band that apparently would have done nothing for my son. I'm very disappointed, but glad I didn't end up with a big bill and no results. read more