"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
24 Mar 2017
Dr. Daya Gahir of Royal Stoke University Hospital in England has been able to reconstruct a human jaw with the help of 3D printing. He specialises in facial, head and neck surgery and conducts as many as 40 reconstructions a year. His task became more efficient when last year, as his hospital acquired the software required to use the 3D printer which enabled him to design and manufacture surgical tools and perform surgery.
Speaking to Stoke Sentinel newspaper, Gahir said that they do at least 40 major head and neck reconstructions every year and around 10 to 15 cases is expected to be done with the help of the printer.
It took twelve hours to conduct this delicate surgery on his patient Stephen Waterhouse whose jawbone had disintegrated after he underwent radiotherapy treatment for his throat cancer a few years ago. Since bone has to be replaced with bone, a part of the leg bone was taken and reshaped. Some part of the skin had also to be taken to be replanted into the neck.
Waterhouse said that the aftercare was also very important, but he was very pleased the results. He said that nobody can tell the difference between the two sides of his mouth.
