Graeme Heward, 62, was diagnosed with nasal and sinus cancer and after undergoing around 50 operations, he was equipped with a 3D printed eye and nose, which have significantly improved his quality of life.
A father, who received a 3D printed eye and nose after discovering a tumour ‘as big as an egg’ in his face, reports that the replacements have significantly changed his life for the better.
Graeme Heward, 62, faced approximately 50 surgical procedures following his rare diagnosis of nasal and sinus cancer. The fit physiotherapist, always keen on exercise, only found out about the massive tumor when he noticed issues with a “watery eye”.
His treatment journey included chemotherapy and radiotherapy in addition to extensive surgeries as the tumour was causing problems with his right eye and exerting pressure on his nose. Despite losing these facial features, Graeme was eventually provided with a 3D printed replacement, which attaches to his skull through strong magnets.
He has now expressed his gratitude towards the surgeons at North Manchester General Hospital for the wonderful prosthetic they crafted for him, acknowledging their “priceless” skill. Father-of-two Graeme shared: “Iwona from the prosthetics department skillfully blends her artistic talents with technology to perfectly recreate the appearance I once had.”
“The team has radically changed my life and they truly are invaluable. There was a risk that the magnets might not adhere due to softened bone from radiotherapy. Thankfully, the procedure was a success, and I now have seven magnets implanted in my skull, making my prosthetics secure and balanced enough to wear glasses.”
Graeme, residing in Lymm, Cheshire, was initially diagnosed with nasal and sinus cancer in 2011, right before turning 50. He visited the hospital for a routine scan due to mild symptoms and was stunned to discover a significant tumor on his face.
Graeme recounted: “The only symptom I noticed was a watery eye. After undergoing a scan at Wythenshawe Hospital, it was revealed I had a tumor the size of an egg pressing against my nose and fracturing my eye socket. It was a complete shock. Despite being a physiotherapist who maintains a healthy lifestyle and exercises regularly, I found myself incredibly unfortunate.”
“My cancer was one in 100,000, which if you put it into perspective, is just one person in the entire of Wembley stadium. That would just look like a spec, and I was the spec”. Due to the delicate location of his tumor, monitoring was quite challenging, leading Graeme to undergo numerous surgeries.
Additionally, he went through two rounds of both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Later, a fully prosthetic right eye and nose along with a partially prosthetic forehead were fitted. The Oral and Maxillofacial Department at North Manchester General Hospital crafted these remarkably realistic prosthetics.
Subsequently, they performed the necessary operations on Graeme, which included the use of magnets to ensure proper attachment of the prosthetics. The procedure starts with a computed tomography (CT) scan and utilizes a 3D printer to create the mould for the prosthetic parts.
This approach aims to keep the surgery as minimally invasive as possible. Implants are surgically placed into the patient’s skull and need four months to integrate before the magnets are fixed to secure the prosthetics. Despite his cancer, Graeme never let it defeat his spirit, referring to it as an ‘alien’ that he now lives with.
And he has also participated in a charity cycle across the country for Maggie’s Centre and regularly plays sports and walks his two dogs. He said: “I’m a very active person but having both chemotherapy and radiotherapy was physically affecting me. I had to change my lifestyle to work around it and began working less hours.
“But it never completely stopped me; I switched my sport of choice from tennis to racquetball. I have two sons, who were aged 19 and 17 at the time of my diagnosis and attended a lot of my appointments. Now, one is an anaesthetist, and the other is an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon.”
He added: “I refer to my cancer as ‘the alien’. I didn’t want to make friends with it and I felt invaded. It’s it or me. Eventually, I decided that we could live together if it didn’t kill me. Although I have not yet been given the ‘all clear’, I’m in the best position now than I ever have been.”
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