A cyclist who suffered facial burns after being hit by a drunk driver has been treated with a new 3D-printed face, the first from a unique body parts printing centre.
The 75-year-old grandfather was hit by a speeding drunk driver whilst out cycling with his two friends in Mere, Devon.
He got trapped under the car, damaging his back and pelvis, breaking multiple ribs, and he suffered full thickness burns to the side of his face, including his eye, nose and part of his neck.
> Cycling survival — what to do if a riding buddy crashes
As part of his treatment, he was referred to Reconstructive Prosthetics, which has just opened the Bristol 3D Medical Centre. It is the first of its kind in the UK to have 3D scanning, design and printing of this kind in a single NHS location.
Dave Richards received a 3D-printed prosthesis that fits the space on his face, and mimics his hair colour, eye colour and skin.
“I was keen to explore anything that could be done to alter the visual aspects of my injuries to give me more confidence,” he told Devon Live.
“In the early days of my recovery, I felt very vulnerable and would not expose myself to social situations. It took me a long time to feel comfortable about my image, how I thought people looked at me and what they thought of me – but I have come a long way in that respect.”
“When 3D capability came along, it opened up a whole range of possibilities.
“It is not the most pleasant of processes – they relied on various moulds and wax impressions from manual processes, they took lots of photos for a record of how it looked, and there was a lot involved in making the moulds and casts on your face by covering your nose and mouth.”
Dave continues to visit the Bristol 3D Medical Centre, and continues to have treatment to ease scar tension and may need further surgery at some stage.
“I’m glad I’ve followed this treatment process as it got me to where I am today. I have always said no matter what treatment is offered, if I think there’s a benefit and the risks aren’t too high, I will try anything and have a go, and that’s still the case. I always weigh up whether the benefits outweigh the risks. I had that on day one.”
On July 21, 2021, Dave and two of his friends were hit by a speeding drunk driver. “It was a lovely sunny day, and not long into the ride, we were going up a hill on a B road, and this guy comes up behind us at speed, and over the drunk drive limit. He was on his phone, racing up behind us, and we were all in line,” he said.
“He wanted to swerve around us, but there was a car coming the other way, so it was either smash into the car or smash into us. My two friends got hit and were thrown clear of the car, but I got trapped under the car, and was rolled along, with the engine and exhaust burning through one side of my body and the other side being crushed by the car.”
The man who caused the collision was sentenced to three years and banned from driving for seven years. It is believed he was released after one and a half years for good behaviour.
“As you can imagine, I am not best pleased with his reduced sentence as I very nearly lost my life and have to live with all the pain from my injuries on a daily basis,” said Dave.