According to Borna News Agency’s social group report, the first-ever custom facial prosthesis surgery, created using 3D printing technology and titanium, was performed for an international patient as part of medical tourism. This groundbreaking procedure, utilizing entirely domestic knowledge and equipment, took place this morning (Friday, October 19, 2019) at Noor Afshar Hospital in collaboration with the Helal Iran Pharmaceutical and Medical Complex.
Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Akrami, Head of the Helal Iran Pharmaceutical and Medical Complex, explained to Borna News that this procedure, for the first time in Iran, was performed on a 35-year-old Iraqi patient who had lost a significant portion of his face. The patient had previously undergone two surgeries to remove a projectile from his eye, but due to the intricate nature of facial reconstruction, the desired results had not been achieved.
Dr. Akrami elaborated on the procedure, noting that the custom prosthesis surgery was based on a CT scan of the patient, which provided the necessary dimensions and angles of the face. The process required integrating 150 data points to complete the procedure successfully.
He further stated that a specialized team was formed for this surgery, consisting of the Fanavaran Jarahyar Sharif company in collaboration with professors from Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
In response to a question about the cost comparison between domestic and international prostheses, Dr. Akrami mentioned that Belgium, a known producer of such prostheses, sets the price at $15,000. However, the domestic version costs about one-third of the foreign price, with production time also reduced to approximately one-third compared to international standards.
Dr. Akrami also highlighted the potential for medical tourism, noting that this surgery was the first of its kind performed on an international patient in Iran. He emphasized that this procedure could cater to the regional demand for such services and contribute to the growth of medical tourism in the region.
According to IRNA and Tehran Economy News Agency, the facial reconstruction surgery for the Iraqi patient was conducted with local knowledge and equipment. Morad Karimpour, CEO of Fanavaran Jarahyar Sharif Company, mentioned that the prosthesis was designed and created using advanced domestic technology and a titanium 3D printer, in collaboration with Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
According to IRIB News, Iranian specialists were able to reconstruct half of the Iraqi patient’s face by integrating digital surgery and navigation techniques. Dr. Morad Karimpour, a faculty member at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tehran, noted that the procedure involved scanning the patient’s face with a CT scan, reconstructing the damaged area using the intact part of the face, and then producing the designed piece with a titanium 3D printer. This design process took over 80 man-hours.
