تصاویر از مراحل ساخت یک صورت جدید برای زنی که صورتش را درحادثه تیراندازی از دست داده است
Building a new face
Chrissy Steltz and her boyfriend, Geoffrey Dilger, wait at the office of Larry Over, DMD, MSD, a maxillofacial prosthodontist in Eugene, Ore., on July 7 as a team puts the final touches to a facial prosthesis that will cover portions of her face damaged in a 1999 shotgun accident. Steltz and Dilger, who also was blinded as a teenager, have been together for eight years. They met at a summer program hosted by the Oregon Commission for the Blind. "We became good friends, and after the program we started dating. It was completely unexpected," said Steltz, now 27.
Building a new face
To help with planning for Steltz's facial prosthesis, the medical team used a model of her skull made from x-rays taken shortly after her injury. The shotgun blast blew a trench across her face, taking out her nose and left eye completely, as well as portions of her right eye. "It's unusual to have this kind of wound and still have the patient survive," said Eric Dierks, MD, DMD, a maxillofacial surgeon at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Ore. "This is about as bad and penetrating as it gets."
Building a new face
Dr. Dierks examined x-rays of Steltz as she underwent reconstructive surgery in September 2009. The nearly five-hour surgery was the first step in preparing Steltz's face for a prosthesis. Because her injuries were so extensive, "tissue reconstruction really was not an option," he said.
Building a new face
Steltz's injuries required multiple surgeries. During a September 2009 surgery, Dr. Dierks removed the remains of Steltz's right eye and reopened her sinuses, which were closed off in an earlier fibula bone graft. Injured in 1999, Steltz had spent years breathing through her mouth. The surgery would allow her to breathe out of her new nose once the facial prosthesis was completed. During a later surgery in February 2010, Dr. Dierks placed eight titanium implants into the bones around where Steltz's eyes used to be. Magnetic tips were then placed on the implants to correspond with thin magnets imbedded in the prosthesis. This makes it easier for Steltz to put the prosthesis on and take it off.
Building a new face
Steltz got her new prosthetic face on July 8, but she waited until she was home to show her 1-year-old son, Geoffrey Dilger Jr. She said he had "a huge smile from ear to ear" when he first saw it, but -- in typical child fashion -- was quickly distracted by the family cat. Steltz said she hopes others can learn from her experiences. "Just because an unfortunate event happens in your life, it doesn't mean that your life is over. My life has turned out pretty splendid," she said.
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