Two years ago, Joe DiMeo was on his way home from working the night shift at his job in New Jersey, when he fell asleep at the wheel and his car rolled over and burst into flames. The horrific car crash left him with third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body.
After 20 reconstructive surgeries, DiMeo was told he could never regain functionality of his arms and face – with good reason. He suffered significant damage to his soft tissue, which severely limited his ability to lead a normal life. He decided to give himself a last shot and called for the help of Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS, chair of the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Health.
During a 14-month period preparation, the team of Dr. Rodriguez worked with Materialise clinical engineers to rehearse the operation in a lab environment to develop and fine-tune the surgical plan.
Everything had to be thoroughly detailed as they should only have 24 hours to perform the operation once a suitable donor had been found.
A time-critical surgery …
In a press communication, Materialise explained that Rodriguez and his surgical team of sixteen used the company’s 3D printed cutting and drilling guides. We all know how Materialise has given some hospitals access to its 3D printing surgical guides.
Given the conditions of DiMeo, only tailor-made guided system for bone fragment repositioning and fixation had to be utilized for his operation, in order to achieve great precision, and reduce the overall surgery time.
Furthermore, the Belgian company created 3D printed sterilizable identification tags for nerves and blood vessels, 3D printed models that were used during donor transport, and 3D printed splints, enabling optimal donor hand position during soft tissue reconstruction.
“Complex transplant surgery like this brings together a large team of specialists and presents new and unique challenges”, says Dr. Rodriguez. “This demands careful planning and makes timing, efficiency and accuracy absolutely critical. Virtually planning the surgery in 3D and creating 3D printed, patient-specific tools offers additional insights in the pre-operative phase and increased levels of speed and accuracy during a time-critical surgery”.
DiMeo is 22 today. He has a new face, two functional hands and feels hopeful to move forward in his life.
Sources: Materialise – ABC News. Remember, you can post job opportunities in the AM Industry on 3D ADEPT Media free of charge or look for a job via our job board. Make sure to follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our weekly newsletter : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram ! If you want to be featured in the next issue of our digital magazine or if you hear a story that needs to be heard, make sure to send it to contact@3dadept.com