About Face Newsletter Article by Suzanne Verma and Sharon Haggerty
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Leading the Way for People with Facial Differences Winter 2005 Volume 21, Number 1 “The Perfect Flaw”— Anaplastology An Interview ______________ 2-3 “The Perfect Flaw” is a new, multiple-award- winning documentary about David Roche, a humorist and public speaker from Mill Valley, Meet AboutFace Calif., who was born with a venous malformation USA’s new and gets speaking engagements worldwide, president ______ 12 including a performance at the White House. His condition is a benign tumor consisting of swollen blood vessels, and he uses a lifetime of public experiences regarding his face for much of his stage North American material. The film captures Roche offstage as well Craniofacial as on – with his wife, friends and storytelling Family Conferene students – and revisits the harrowing medical and Materials_____ 5-11 social ordeals of his early years. It also lets him articulate the priceless spiritual perspective that his experiences unexpectedly gave him. The filmmaker, Mike Grundmann, is a Los David Roche Angeles Times editor who was born with a cleft lip and palate. Q: Wasn’t your face a make-or-break proposition? A: My struggle has not been a clear-cut one. I have Q (Grundmann): My to keep working at it. Baseball is called a game of NACFC 2005 strategy when growing up and failure because the best batters make an out 7 out being ridiculed at school was of 10 times. Well, I would say I’m a .400 hitter in July 17-20, 2005 pretending it didn’t bother me life, which is great, but that means I make an out Las Vegas — even after I got home from more often than not. I have to walk back to the school, even when there was dugout of life (our apartment) and get my attitude blood on my shirt from being together for the next at-bat. Luckily, I have learned hit. What were your coping to surround myself with good teammates (friends) techniques? Did any of them and an excellent manager (Marlena). work? A (Roche): I had similar coping Q: What’s the most important lesson your face techniques. Lots of denial. I also has taught you? used humor. And I adopted the A: Like I say in my show, it has forced me to look techniques of the teasers and inside for my strength. became feared for my mouth. Of course, I am ashamed of this now, Q: You and your wife, but the truth is that it worked very Marlena Blavin, make well – though only in the short regular presentations run. in schools, titled “Love at Second See pages 6-11 for complete Sight.” How do the information about the NACFC conference including speakers, kids react? resort & registration information. Continued on Page 4 NACFC ConferenceSee pagesInformation 5-11. SUPPORT Anaplastology Improving patients quality of life Suzanne Verma, MAMS ranging from medical and Sharon Haggerty, MAMS surgical professionals, to Anaplastology is the art and science of restoring a malformed rehabilitative and support or absent part of the human body through artificial means. By groups. The most important combining technical, medical, and artistic skills with patience “team member”, of course is the and compassion, an anaplastologist can create custom-made, life- patient! A team approach to like prostheses that meet the needs of each patient. patient treatment may also Facial and somato (body) prosthetic devices serve an facilitate the incorporation of essential role in restoring the physical and psychological well advanced technologies into the being for patients with missing or disfigured anatomical planning and fabrication process structures due to congenital abnormalities, trauma, or disease of creating a prosthesis. Nu- The gold bar attached to two such as cancer. Patients may be able to gain renewed func- merous technologies can be titanium implants will be used tion, appearance, and confidence after receiving a prosthetic utilized, such as rapid to retain the prosthesis through bar and clip retention. prototyped medical models ear, eye, nose, finger, or hand. Renewed self-image may help Anaplastologist: S. Verma, COMPRU, 2002 patients feel better about themselves, more accepted into made from CT scans, CNC society, and enable them to function as they had before their milling, and Computerized loss. This restoration of self-esteem is an invested accomplish- Color Formulation software to ment for both the patient and anaplastologist or facial pros- name a few. The thetist. The primary goal of prosthetic rehabilitation is to Anaplastologist creating the help patients improve their quality of life and uphold their prosthesis has a wealth of self-image during their traumatic psychological adjustment. A resources available, as well as truly successful prosthesis may go unnoticed in public, the creative freedom to allowing patients to go about life without drawing attention to formulate patient specific that aspect of their physical appearance. solutions. These technologies Each prosthesis is unique in its design, makeup, and help health care professionals method of retention. For example, if a patient has adequate in diagnosis, surgical and prosthetic planning, and bone quality and is willing to adhere to a daily hygiene Patient without auricular (ear) regime, they may be a candidate for an osseointegrated fabrication of the final prosthesis. implant-retained prosthesis. Titanium craniofacial implants, prosthesis. Anaplastologist: S. Verma, COMPRU, 2002 similar to dental implants, are surgically placed in the bone The fabrication process of and used to anchor the silicone prosthesis with bar and clip, or creating the prosthesis entails magnet retention. Those patients unable to utilize retention a series of appointments with through osseointegration may require the use of traditional the anaplastologist. A sculp- adhesives, or the prosthetic design may rely on the inherent ture made to look like the retention characteristics of the patient’s anatomy. Due to the missing anatomy is made out uniqueness of each patient’s needs, it is important that his or of wax. The final prosthesis is her treatment plan for reconstruction be defined with the made out of medical grade expertise of various members of a multi-disciplinary Craniofa- silicone to simulate the texture cial or Maxillofacial Team. and appearance of skin. The A multi-disciplinary team approach to craniofacial silicone is colored to match reconstruction offers numerous advantages. By utilizing the patient’s various skin tones, including small details Patient post-treatment with various specialists, patients can receive optimal treatment in an implant retained auricular (ear) appropriate sequence. There are many individuals who play such as blood vessels and prosthesis in place. an important role in rehabilitating craniofacial patients, freckles. Unfortunately, Anaplastologist: S. Verma, COMPRU, 2002 2 AboutFace USA SUPPORT Anaplastology— Continued from Page 2 present-day silicone materials and coloring components The American Anaplastology Association (AAA) serves remain as an “Information Center,” uniting specialists involved durable for in anatomical restorations, and encouraging under- only a short standing and acceptance of facial and somato (body) period of prosthetic treatment among healthcare specialists time. With worldwide. proper care, a prosthesis can Patient with implant-retained While an American association, the AAA has a diverse last as long as orbital (eye) prosthesis. membership made up of professionals and students from (Anaplastologist: R. Seelaus, COMPRU; 3-5 years. Ocularist: J. Koroscil: LeGrand Northwest Ocularists, Inc. 21 countries. International experts coming from the fields Silicone Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 2002) of anaplastology, maxillofacial prosthetics, medical prostheses illustration, ocularistry, prosthetics and orthotics, dental may lose their color, flexibility, texture, and possibly tear along laboratory technology, prosthodontics, materials research, the margins due to environmental factors encountered by the clinical cosmetology, biomechanical engineering, medi- patient. Changes in the appearance and function of a prosthe- cine, psychology, and other allied fields participate in the sis may require repair or replacement of the prosthesis, which multidisciplinary task of improving patient treatment can be an inconvenience to the patient. The quest to find a outcomes through research and information exchange. method to stabilize the color of silicone is a shared vision among many disciplines involved in prosthetic rehabilitation. The AAA’s professional development activities are de- To help make the process of wearing a prosthesis easier for signed to respond to the professional and educational patients, anaplastologists and material scientists continue to interests of its members. The AAA annual conference and put forth research efforts to find ways to improve the materials publications offer timely topics on various aspects of the used in the fabrication of prostheses. restorative prosthetic devices, as well as workshops on The field of anaplastology functions within the larger new and innovative developments in biomaterials, medical community, in which cross-disciplinary communica- advanced technologies in craniofacial reconstruction, and tion and cooperation is essential in order to provide patients techniques and approaches in prosthetic fabrication. with successful prosthetic restorations and a positive treatment Since the first meeting, over 1300 people have attended experience. the annual conference. Although a prosthesis is created to mimic the form and color of the missing or deformed anatomy as much