3D printing technology changing lives of cancer survivors

3D-printing technology is helping change the lives of cancer patients who have had significant parts of their faces removed while undergoing treatment.

69-year-old grandfather Ben Robinson had his entire nose and part of his jaw removed after squamous cell carcinoma was found in his face.

He lost the ability to eat solid food and he was left with a large hollow where his nose used to be.

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Surgeons used 3D printing technology to conceptualise a titanium clip to attach Robinson's new nose to his face, however, it was manufactured by an external company.

They were also able to restore his jaw and teeth.

"It's amazing they carry out the repairs to the extent that they do," Robinson said.

"For a patient who's had this sort of major surgery, it can totally devastate their life so to be able to restore their form and function is critical."

The technology will be more accessible than ever after the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse's Integrated Prosthetics and Reconstruction laboratory opened today.

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"It's been a revolution in the way we approach reconstructive surgery," Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Director of Head and Neck Research Jonathon Clark told 9News.

"Because it is 3D printed it's able to exactly replicate the complex geometry of the facial skeleton.

"We can provide cutting-edge prosthetics but an affordable price." 

The current procedure requires a patient's leg bone to reconstruct the face, however, researchers have developed an artificial bone that will soon go to a clinical trial.

The lab's focus is on research for the near future. A

ny prosthetics it develops would need to go through a clinical trial before being widely replicated.