The Knife is Not Enough
By combining several cutting-edge technologies in their many research projects, the Facial and Cranial Anomalies Group has succeeded in making the treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate simpler and at the same time more precise.
Unlike 150 years ago, a child born today with Facial and Cranial anomalies has a good chance of complete recovery. Nevertheless, the treatment of Facial and Cranial anomalies remains a challenge for the patient and the treating physicians.
For Cleft patients the team and collaborative network around Prof. Andreas Mueller (DBE and University Hospital Basel) and Prof. Barbara Solenthaler (ETHZ) design AI-tailored 3D printed individual plates right after birth to keep the baby’s tongue out of the cleft. This allows a narrowing of the cleft, naturally and improves feeding. Surgeons have now the opportunity to close the cleft finally and permanently in just a single surgical procedure after 10 months, immensely reducing the burden of care. What exactly is done during surgery can be practiced by ongoing surgeons on a surgical trainer. Furthermore, simulations on data-driven infant models help to visualize the surgical outcome for the patients and their families.
These novel technologies are already being used at the University Hospital Basel. The success of the Facial and Cranial Anomalies Group shows: the knife is not enough. To make life easier for our very young patients, we need the courage and skill to integrate new technologies.