Maxillofacial Surgery: Using 3D Technologies and Augmented Reality for a New Frontier

A tumour had spread across half the face of a patient who underwent a complex, state-of-the-art operation at the Sant'Orsola General Hospital.

"After removing the tumour, we reconstructed the bone structures," explains Prof. Achille Tarsitano, from the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences at the University of Bologna and Director of Maxillofacial Surgery at the IRCCS Sant'Orsola General Hospital. " Three custom-made prostheses were implanted and a fibula bone graft was performed: the tumour was defeated while preserving both appearance and function".

This extraordinary result marks a new frontier in maxillofacial surgery, thanks to the use of 3D technology and augmented reality.


The research project on this topic was developed at the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences of the University of Bologna and, thanks to the positive results obtained, the technology has already been integrated into clinical practice.

"Today we are in a position to offer patients solutions in which their original facial features remain unaltered”, explains Prof. Tarsitano. “This is extremely important because we are talking about the face, where the clinical and social impact is very high".

Thanks to the sophisticated reconstruction, the patient’s recovery time was very short: he was able to speak five days after the operation and to eat normally after only 12 days. His vision was unaffected, and he was discharged within 15 days of the operation. No further treatment is planned beyond the surgery, so he can be considered cured. He is undergoing specific rehabilitation therapies, including speech therapy exercises.