Replace Your Face: 3-D Facial Implants Approved By FDA

Thanks to the success of Oxford Performance Material's 3-D printed skull (75% of which took up residence in a patient's headspace last year with great results), the FDA has announced approval of the company's OsteoFab Patient-Specific Facial Device, which can substitute your face-bones should such a dramatic need arise.

It's as simple as printing out the required new part and surgically installing it into your face-space. The rapid rise of 3-D technology has aided surgery for prosthetics, bones, and has even made strides on creating new organs, so this bit of reconstruction is not surprising, and also not significantly different from what you were born with.

According to cnet.com, Oxford Performance Materials' CEO Scott DeFelice said, "With the clearance of our 3D printed facial device, we now have the ability to treat these extremely complex cases in a highly effective and economical way, printing patient-specific maxillofacial implants from individualized MRI or CT digital image files from the surgeon."

So basically, you just need to steal one of your favorite movie star's MRIs and tell the surgeon to build you a fresh visage. OK, that might not work, but for those in need of serious cosmetic surgery, this offers a chance at restoring relative reality.

DO NOT ABUSE THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.  We don't any more Cages or Travoltas running around.
A few extra Harrison Fords wouldn't be bad, though.

Source:http://blog.agupieware.com/2014/08/replace-your-face-3-d-facial-implants.html