Case Study: Ghent University Hospital achieves Belgium's first full face transplant with Materialise 3D printing and ProPlan CMF

3D Printing Belgium’s First Face Transplant

Ghent University Hospital faced an extremely complex reconstructive challenge: Belgium’s first full face transplant in December 2011 that included major portions of the facial midface skeletal bone. The multidisciplinary team, led by Prof. Philippe Blondeel, required precise, patient-specific planning and rapid surgical execution, and worked with Materialise using Synthes ProPlan CMF software and 3D printing to prepare for the operation.

Materialise clinical engineers converted CT data into a detailed 3D surgical plan in Synthes ProPlan CMF, then produced anatomical skull models and patient-specific 3D‑printed surgical guides to direct bone harvesting and placement. The Materialise solution enabled the surgical team of roughly 65 to execute the procedure when a donor became available; the transplant—the world’s 19th full face transplant—was successful, the patient’s recovery exceeded expectations, and the models even supported creation of an epithesis for the donor’s family.

Ghent University Hospital

Phillip Blondeel

Team Head