Invited lectures 2018

The complex anatomy of maxillofacial skeleton increases the complexity of its reconstruction  and presents a challenge when trying to achieve acceptable functional and aesthetic outcomes. Facial skeleton provides support for the soft tissues and is crucial in determining the shape of the face. That's why bony reconstruction has to be done as precisely as possible. To achieve this goal, the bony reconstruction has to be planned

Traditionally, reconstructive surgery in the maxillofacial region has relied on the surgeon's subjective assessment of form and aesthetics pre and intraoperatively, with intraoperative decision making based on experience. Important factors such as position and direction of the osteotomies, shape of the bone fragments and thus the shape of the face were unpredictable, and further rehabilitation (e.g. dental) of the patient hindered. In the last 10 years, the advent of virtual surgical planning has brought a large improvement in the precision, speed and predictability of the reconstructions, performed at the Department for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in University clinical Centre in Ljubljana. By presenting our clinical cases we will guide you through preoperative planning, virtual surgery, fabrication of cutting guides, and 3D models and show you how additive technologies meet medicine in practice with excellent results.