The PERCEPTION OF THE APPLICABILITY OF CAD / CAM TECHNOLOGY IN CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY IN A PLASTIC SURGERY POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM

Abstract: Introduction: Multiple technologies help the development of reconstructive surgical procedures in craniofacial surgery, Surgeon's perception of this type of diagnostic and treatment aids has not been widely studied. Methods and Materials: A workflow is proposed for the management of craniofacial bone defects, then the results are showed to the staff in charge for the treatment of these patients. A survey was subsequently applied, evaluating the degree of satisfaction and perception the perception of the staff regarding applicability, usefulness, impact on different process factors of treatment. Descriptive analysis was performed. Results:  30 people were interviewed: specialists, residents of surgical specialties, general practitioners, medical students. The majority did not have experience with CAD / CAM technology (77%), but considered useful (67%), the considered disadvantages were: technical difficulty, administrative procedures to access, costs, lack of information, need for specific training. The benefits were: Improvement in diagnosis and treatment accuracy, specificity, help in planning, innovation, and versatility. Discussion: Tools such as 3D printing, CAD / CAM technology, facilitate the process of anatomical understanding, planning of the surgical procedure and execution of surgery, implementing the Survey in our service we could show that the perception of the majority of the participants agrees with these data, where the impact and utility of the application of this technology in the treatment of patients is evident, both for graduate surgeons and those in training. Conclusions: The application of technologies in the practice of medicine is useful, facilitates the technical execution of the procedure precision, reduces surgical time and costs. Information and studies that evaluate the surgeon's perception regarding the applicability of CAD / CAM technology in the treatment of craniofacial bone defects are not enough, which represents a novelty of our study.