3D printing refines cosmetic surgery
Al Qasimi Hospital introduces technology to help patients understand procedure
Doctors at Al Qasimi Hospital are creating three-dimensional surgical models to give patients an idea of the results of cosmetic surgery.
The technology that involves body parts created by a 3D printer is beneficial to trauma victims who must often undergo multiple complex procedures.
The UAE is the first Middle East country to use 3D technology in medicine, Dr Saqr Al Mulla, deputy CEO and head of plastic surgery at Al Qasimi Hospital, told Gulf News.
Dr Al Mulla said 3D surgical models are better than even a skilled surgeon’s freehand depiction of what a patient should look like post procedure.
How it works
Surgeons use the technology to provide symmetrical reconstruction guidelines in disfigured patients. Surgeons use CT scan series to create 3D skull models of significantly disfigured patients and 3D printing technology to provide realistic models after restoration of those facial features.
“The 3D prints that are created as the surgical model can help all plastic surgery patients feel a greater sense of confidence in their potential results. Whether a person is coming in for a reconstruction or rejuvenation, I can provide exceptional precision as a benefit of this technology,” Dr Mesha’al Al Nabouda, plastic surgeon, said.
Skilled doctors can provide a decent result using their own freehand techniques, but using a model created from a picture of the patient is the best method available.