Titanium implant replaces broken skull

August 26, 2016 06:26 am | Updated 06:26 am IST - CHENNAI:

A 26-year-old man who was visiting the city for his sister’s wedding met with an accident that left him with a fractured skull.

The man was in a coma for a month and then another 16 days in a state of disorientation, rendering it impossible for doctors to operate on his skull.

Parvathy Hospitals’ senior consultant neurosurgeon K. Eliyas Basha, who treated him, said, “When the patient was first brought in, saving his life was our priority. A portion of his skull was shattered and the pieces had pierced into his brain. There were sand particles and hair in the fractured piece, so we could not use it. We performed a procedure called craniotomy to remove the embedded pieces.”

By the time he regained consciousness, the doctors had decided to use a titanium implant to cover the fractured skull.

150 images taken

Dr. Eliyas used 150 images taken using the CT scan and the 3D data to create an anatomical model of the damaged portion of the skull. A wax/acrylic implant model was created and then the implant was manufactured.

Three months later, the patient underwent cranioplasty for the plate to be implanted.

S. Muthukumar, the chairman of the hospital suggested that the State government consider bringing the surgery under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme

Dr. Eliyas said the entire procedure cost around Rs. 1.1 lakh.

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