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T
he
concept of 3-D printing is
still, to many people, more
likely to be imagined in a science fiction film than
in reality. But with the rapid technological ad-
vances in the medical field, it's ushering in a new
frontier in medicine -- and with the expertise of
surgical teams, including
Gaurav Gupta, MD
,
assistant professor of neurosurgery and director
of cerebrovascular and endovascular neuro-
surgery, this technology is changing our patients'
lives.
Local resident Chris Cahill had suffered un-
known trauma resulting in severe injuries to his
frontal lobe, with brain swelling so dramatic it was
life-threatening. Though emergent surgery helped
resolve that critical issue, an infection in the skull
pieces that had been removed to relieve the
pressure meant Cahill's own skull was
no longer usable, Dr. Gupta explains.
Instead, a model of Cahill's skull
and a custom implant to replace
the missing piece were developed
from his CT scan using 3-D printing
to create an exact match made of
PEEK material (polyetheretherke-
tone). The skull implant was printed,
millimeter by millimeter, and
matched to the skull model, ensur-
ing a perfect fit, Dr. Gupta says. Dr.
Gupta's team inserted the 3-D im-
plant during a four-hour surgical
procedure, to exceptional results.
"I was nervous about what I
would look like after the surgery,"
Cahill says. "I was happy I looked
exactly the same and felt like
myself again."
I
am excited and proud to
announce that thanks to an
extraordinary team effort,
The Joint Commission granted our organization
Accredited Status for Ambulatory Health Care
.
By earning this accreditation, our quest to become recog-
nized for our compliance with national standards and
commitment to providing safe and efficient patient care is
validated. I would like to once again thank everyone who
assisted our medical school to attain this Gold Seal of
Approval.
I am also happy to welcome a new class of students into
our medical school. We've enjoyed getting to know the
Class of 2021
, 170 students strong, full of promise and
significantly diverse. We saw a 3 percent increase over last
year's numbers (17percent versus 14 percent) in the matricu-
lation of students underrepresented in medicine. Thirteen
percent of the class are first-generation college students,
and women make up 56 percent of the class. The students
took their first step toward careers as physicians at the
White Coat Ceremony
, where we also celebrated 23
students inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
Congratulations and happy 30th anniversary to the
Eric
B. Chandler Health Center
! We wish you many more
years of providing high-quality care and services in
the greater New Brunswick area and we admire
your dedication to our community.
Exciting times lie ahead in every area. New grant
support will ensure robust growth in our research
program, cutting-edge technology like the 3-D printed
skull implant raises the bar in clinical care, and our new
faculty brings innovative ideas to our team.
Best wishes for a most successful academic year,
Sherine E. Gabriel, MD, MSc
Dean
1
From the
Message
from the Dean
Fall 2017
1
Patient Receives 3-D­Printed Skull after
Traumatic Brain Injury
John O'Boyle
Medical School Receives
Joint Commission Accreditation
for Ambulatory Health Care
R
obert Wood Johnson Medical School
is proud
to announce that it has been accredited by
The
Joint Commission (TJC)
, a prestigious organiza-
tion that accredits nearly 21,000 health care
organizations in the United States, in recog-
nition of high levels of safety and quality
provided to patients. The journey that the
medical school undertook to obtain Joint
Commission Ambulatory Accreditation was
transformational and benchmarked its clinical
practice to nationally recognized standards.
The medical school is proud to be recognized as a
leader in clinical care, providing palpable evidence of
the high-quality health care of its clinical practice--a
major accomplishment as it seeks to transform health
care in New Jersey and put Patients First!
Gaurav Gupta, MD (left), with patient Chris Cahill
John Emerson