Donate blood
How to find us
Events
Contact
Press
Facial plastic surgery
Epitheses
Epitheses are artificial facial parts that are used to reconstruct damaged areas of the face, for example in the case of cancer, deformities or after accidents.
Replacement of facial areas
If there is a malignant disease in the facial area, it usually needs to be treated surgically. The aim of tumour surgeries is to completely remove it. This is called an R0 resection. To do this, it may be necessary to partially or completely remove larger areas of the face, such as the outer nose, ear or eye. Such a surgery is not only psychologically stressful for affected patients, it also results in functional and aesthetic losses.
There are two options for restoring the removed facial areas: surgical reconstruction (often in several stages) or epithesis treatment, i.e. artificial facial parts made from modern, tissue-compatible plastics. The method that is considered best for the individual patient is decided on an individual basis after weighing up all the circumstances.
Customised epitheses
If the decision is made in favour of an epithetic restoration, specialists in the epithesis laboratory produce epitheses made of medical silicone that are individually adapted to the patient based on the existing defect. Whether nose, auricle, eye, parts of the cheek or other areas, thanks to advanced technical possibilities, the epitheses are very similar in colour and texture to the natural organ or part of the face. They can usually be concealed very well and are very comfortable to wear.
If an R0 resection has been performed, i.e. a complete removal, the experts can initially fit an adhesive epithesis. This serves as a kind of interim solution to cover the defect if, for example, concomitant (adjuvant) therapy is required. Once the wound has healed and any accompanying therapeutic measures have been completed, the surgeons can insert the so-called epithesis carriers (platinum implants with magnetic pins) into the bone at the edge of the respective defect. This usually requires a general anaesthetic. Once the implants have healed, the final epithesis is fabricated. Patients can place these on the magnetic pins themselves and remove them for cleaning.
