Scanning Technology Helps an Injured U.S. Soldier and Makes National News
Direct Dimensions, Inc. recently made national news for their work in developing a new surgical procedure to help a wounded U.S. Army soldier who returned from Iraq with a severe facial injury.
Working with anaplastologist Juan R. Garcia and plastic surgeons at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, DDI used its advanced 3D laser scanning technology to capture a hand-sculpted model of the nose and then digitally rebuilt the nose in order to create a custom surgical guide.
From Johns Hopkins
Watch Johns Hopkins Surgeons Rebuild Iraq War Veterans Entire Nose using his own Body Parts. CNN and CBS-WJZ will broadcast separate feature stories that chronicle one of the most complicated nasal reconstructions ever performed at Hopkins. CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, M.D., starts with a feature report on Anderson Cooper 360° at 10 p.m., Monday, May 14.
CBS-WJZ reporters Mary Bubala and Kellye Lynn begin airing their two-part series on the 11 p.m. newscast, also on Monday, and conclude their report the following night, Tuesday, May 15. CBS affiliates across the country will air the stories one day later, starting Tuesday. Check your local listings for times and channels.
In a series of six operations over a year-long period that ended with removal of the last sutures on May 2, facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons led by Patrick Byrne, M.D., in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, pieced together more than a dozen bits of bone, cartilage, skin, arteries and veins to rebuild the nose of Senior Airman Michael Fletcher.
All materials were taken from spare or renewable parts of Fletcher's own body. The soldier, now 23, lost his nose, along with his left arm, when his Humvee flipped over and crashed in Southern Iraq in August 2005.
For more information, please visit the
Wounded Soldier Featured Project, and also visit the
Direct Dimensions, Inc. Blog article.
