Facial Donor Restoration: One-Step Technique.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Successful management of facial allotransplantation requires planning and overcoming a long list of obstacles, not least, the restoration of the donor cadaver (DC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have presented an innovative single-step facial reconstruction technique for the DC using light-curing material to simplify the infrastructure needs and optimize the time and costs associated with traditional facial restoration techniques reported to date. We also developed a study based on the creation of 7 facial masks over a white male formaldehyde-preserved cadaver head to evaluate the production time of the mask, likeness to the original face, temperature, and adaptation of the mask to the defect. RESULTS: The average time for the adjustment of the light-curing resin sheets over the DC, photopolymerization, and cosmetic adjustment and application over the facial defect was 5, 4, and 16.4 minutes, respectively, for a global average time of 25.4 minutes. In all cases, the likeness to the original was good, and the average temperature over the donor area was 19.8°C. The adaptation of the mask to the facial defect was accurate in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: The presented one-step technique proposed for facial restoration of the DC had a short learning curve, low costs, and accurate and predictable results.