Pitfalls and Complications in 3D Planned Patient Specific Implants

Patient-specific implant (PSI) is a personalized approach to reconstructive and esthetic surgery. This is particularly useful in maxillofacial surgery in which restoring the complex three-dimensional (3D) contour can be quite challenging. In certain situations, the best results can only be achieved with implants custom-made to fit a particular need. Significant progress has been made over the past decade in the design and manufacture of maxillofacial PSIs.
Design methods for the reconstruction of cranio-maxillofacial defects include the use of a pre-operative model printed with pre-operative data, printing a surgical guide or template after virtual surgery, a model after virtual surgery printed with reconstructed data using a mirror image, and manufacturing PSIs by directly obtaining PSI data after reconstruction using a mirror image. By selecting the appropriate design method, manufacturing process, and implant material according to the case, it is possible to obtain a more accurate surgical procedure, reduced operation time, the prevention of various complications that can occur using the traditional method, and predictive results compared to the traditional method.
Although, there are obvious advantages in using PSI, it`s use in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in still in the process of understanding, learning and standardizing. It is important to share knowledge and experience in order to minimize complications and advance successful use of this tools in practice.