Success in Facial Reshaping After Brain Surgery with 3D Implant in Trabzon

Özlem Akıntürk, a teacher working in Trabzon, learned that she faced a vital health issue when she applied to the hospital with complaints of severe headaches about one and a half years ago. As a result of detailed examinations and MR imaging, a tumor was detected in Akıntürk's brain, and she had to undergo an operation in Ankara for the treatment of the condition. Although the brain tumor was successfully removed, serious depression and deformity occurred on her face because the bone in the forehead area had to be removed during the operation. This situation had negative effects on both her physical appearance and psychology. Akıntürk, who had aesthetic concerns and sought a solution, found hope thanks to the modern technologies applied at Karadeniz Teknik University (KTÜ) Farabi Hospital.

Akıntürk, who started researching due to the aesthetic problem she experienced and sought the solution in her own city, contacted Prof. Dr. Muhammet Uraloğlu from the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Karadeniz Teknik University Farabi Hospital to evaluate treatment possibilities. As a result of comprehensive examinations by the doctors, it was determined that the custom 3-dimensional implant method was the most suitable solution to eliminate the bone loss and deformation in the patient's forehead region. The facilities of the Medical Device Design and Production Application and Research Center, operating under KTÜ, were mobilized. A custom planning process was initiated for the patient.

The medical team recreated the lost tissue and bone structure in the digital environment with millimeter precision using the patient's tomography images and 3-dimensional modeling technology. After the digital design phase, a special implant was produced that would perfectly fit Akıntürk's skull structure. This produced implant was successfully placed in the patient's forehead region by surgical operation. Thanks to the application, the depression formed after brain surgery was largely eliminated, and the patient's facial aesthetic appearance was restored by ensuring a natural integrity.

Prof. Dr. Muhammet Uraloğlu, the physician who performed the operation, provided information about the details of the method they applied, explaining that they prepared implants suitable for exact dimensions to complete the missing area needed by the patient. Emphasizing that this procedure was planned custom for the person, similar to dental implant applications, Uraloğlu stated that preparing even a small implant for the sides of the forehead is a much more difficult and delicate process than making dental prostheses. Noting that the center established under KTÜ provided a great advantage in transitioning to domestic production in this field, Uraloğlu expressed that they have been using this technology successfully for about two years and have restored their patients' natural appearance.

Patient Özlem Akıntürk, describing the treatment process and recovery period, said that the depression left on her forehead after the brain tumor surgery exhausted her psychologically and when she looked at her old photos, she felt that she needed to have this surgery. Akıntürk, who admitted that she had some concerns about the process and operation at first, stated that the implant operation she underwent went far above her expectations, easily and without problems. Akıntürk, who stated that the healing process progressed quickly, her pain decreased rapidly in the days following the operation, and the swelling completely subsided within a week, said she was very pleased with the result and experienced the happiness of regaining her natural appearance.