Case Study | Personalised ATM Surgery

AVINENT Digital Health manufactures personalised prostheses for the replacement of bone structures in the human body. AVINENT has an extensive catalogue of solutions designed to aid professionals and doctors to improve the quality of life of their patients.

When it comes to materials and manufacturing methods, AVINENT has facilities that offer a vast range of possibilities and is also highly specialised in additive manufacturing technologies. This 3D printing service using pioneering digital equipment at a global level allows AVINENT to offer healthcare professionals a wide range of possibilities to approach and resolve any situation.

A clear example of the possibilities of 3D printing offered by AVINENT is ATM rehabilitation, with which it obtains an optimum result with a perfect fit. The design and planning software allow the surgeon to observe the movements beforehand, and using all the information obtained, be able to predict the actions during the pre-op process and thus minimise risks.

Dr Ramón Sieira Gil, a Maxilofacial Surgeon specialising in ortognatic surgery and ATM, believes that the technical support provided by AVINENT in the field of maxillofacial surgery has led to a new way of implementing the latest advances in 3D printing technology. He also tells us of the many treatments that the company has provided, especially in the area of material personalisation for new reconstructive solutions in maxillofacial cranial surgery.

Dr Sieira defends the advantages provided by customised ATM surgery against traditional surgery, pointing out the freedom of the design that allows the customisation and the possibilities to include specific complementary procedures for the patient such as virtual planning, associated with orthognathic surgery, guides for mentoplasty and facial prostheses. The ability to offer personalised ATM surgery has enabled AVINENT to provide specialists with a wide range of complementary solutions that help guarantee perfect functional and aesthetic results.

With regard to the strengths of the ATM system, Dr Sieira speaks to us about the planning prior to surgery, in particular the teamwork between the surgical specialist and the biomedical engineer of AVINENT, which allows improvements to be added during the planning and design process of the personalised prosthetic. He also states that this fact results in a more predictable and accurate result, which contributes to a successful outcome with a huge aesthetic and functional benefit for the patient.

“With regard to the working process with AVINENT, I would like to highlight the personalisation and the close relationship when planning each case individually. The flexibility and willingness to incorporate solutions that further improve and personalise the prosthesis to be implanted.”  Dr. Ramón Sieira Gil

AVINENT also offers anatomical models for practice purposes prior to the operation, this reduces surgery lengths and facilitates obtaining the desired results.

Dr. Sieira agrees that the anatomical models provide greater surgical knowledge and understanding of the treatment process and by performing the surgery using models, this minimises the technical inconveniences during the different phases for the placement of the ATM prosthesis. There is also the possibility, once the virtual planning and printing of the 3D models has been performed, of incorporating these into the explanation of the treatment plan, thus instilling a greater level of patient confidence in their treatment process.

AVINENT and the surgical specialist have a common goal of achieving the best possible result for the patient and in turn, transmit to them the confidence and security they need to approach the surgical process with a positive attitude.

“I believe that this new technology and these resources also allow the patient to better understand their treatment process. They improve the understanding and aid doctor-patient communication while transmitting confidence due to being a solution that has been planned and designed specifically for each patient.”  Dr. Ramón Sieira Gil

Dr. Sieira concludes that the advantages of a standard prosthesis are multiple and this is creating a trend towards personalisation in practically all surgical cases. The personalisation offered by AVINENT Digital Health allows for a more anatomical reconstruction adapted to each situation with the possibility of improving and obtaining more predictable and accurate results.