11. More Widely Available Face Transplants
What It Can Do: Better Prepare Surgeons
Discovered By: Materialise
Est. Cost: $350,000*
Due to the sensitivity of the procedures, every time that an organ transplant is being performed, time is of the essence. The longer an organ is separated from a healthy blood supply the less likely the transplant is to be a success. For these reasons and more, face transplants have, historically, been rare and not very successful.
More Widely Available Face Transplants ©David Tadevosian / Shutterstock.com
The 3D tech company, Materialise, has come up with a method that uses computer modeling for planning and 3D cutting guides to assist with the actual procedure – thus better preparing the surgeons for the operations while also shortening the time that the organs are left without the, ever important, blood supply.