Sharjah: 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 often have to undergo multiple complex procedures.
UAE is the first country in the Middle East 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.
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 post 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, told Gulf News.
“It is an exciting time to work in the plastic surgery field with this type of advancement at our fingertips,” she 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.
“I enjoyed working with reconstruction patients because it is incredibly satisfying to make such a big difference in their lives,” D Al Mulla said
This technology has the ability to discover congenital disorders of babies while they are in their mother’s womb.
Dr Al Mulla said each body part takes different lengths of time to be completed.
For example, a hand figure needs only one hour to be completed while the skull can take up to three days to be completed.
