Indications for a PSI

Patients Specific Implants (PSI’s) are most commonly known in the fields of Neuro- and CranioMaxilloFacial surgery. This is not surprising; in the facial region, aethetics are of vital importance. A person’s face/head is the first thing you look at and you know that first impressions count. So the Neuro and CMF field have adopted PSI’s for a combination of the 2 possible reasons for choosing a custom implant:

Reconstructive purposes

Surgery to fill or cover a skeletal defect, either traumatic, congenital or idiopathic. Commonly out of “medical neccessity”.

 
Aesthetic purposes

Surgery to enhance the physical appearance of a patient. Can be either reconstructive (neccessity) or cosmetic (patient’s choice).

PSI’s are used by various surgical disciplines, involved in replacing, reconstructing or augmenting skeletal structures:

Neurosurgery

Cranial reconstruction after decompressive craniectomy, cerebral aneurysm procedures or meningioma resection.

CMF surgery

Reconstruction or augmentation of skull, jaw, orbita, zygoma, maxilla,…

Orthopaedic surgery

Reconstruction following segment resection, a comminuted fracture, revision surgery,…

Plastic surgery

For reconstructive or cosmetic purposes.

Used in all the above surgical disciplines, Patient Specific Implants are not limited to the cranial region, but can be used for any bone part replacement. See also our “Examples” page

Please note that Patient Specific Implants do not always have to be a last resort, when all other options fail. In fact, choosing for a PSI early on, can reduce the chance and frequency of possible revision surgeries. Contact us to learn more about this lower total cost-of-ownership.