BOSTON, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- While our society has come to insist on the customization of items such as cars and clothing, ironically people readily accept the mass-produced generic implants to change something as personal as their facial contours. As a result of technological advances, the era of bespoke plastic surgery, or truly customized plastic surgery, has arrived.
Bespoke facial implants, also known as custom-designed or CT-derived implants, use computer modeling and three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scans to create the implants. CT images provide data that is transferred to design software to create a customized implant. Using electronic data, a computer-controlled manufacturing system designs a model of the prosthesis, which is then cast into the finished product. Another method constructs an exact physical replica of the skull which is used as a template for the construction of the preliminary implant, which may then be modified further by the surgeon.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), approximately 5.5 million reconstructive procedures were performed in the United States in 2011. Of those procedures, 195,398 of those were maxillofacial surgery, or surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. This number demonstrates a 125 percent increase from 2010, demonstrating the growing need for improved and more cost-effective procedures.
Bespoke plastic surgery provides a new level of specificity, predictability and customization for patients. It can significantly reduce surgical time and improve the experience for the patient, and there is less morbidity associated with bespoke plastic surgery because there is no cutting of the bone involved.
"Custom-designed facial implants often appeal to patients with significant asymmetries or irregularities, as well as orthognat
|SOURCE Dr. Michael Yaremchuk|
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved