A cyclist who received severe third-degree burns to his head after being struck by a drunk driver has been fitted with a printed 3D face.
Dave Richards, 75, was given a 3D prosthetic by the NHS that fits the space on his face and mimics his hair colour, eye colour and skin. His face received full-thickness burns after a speeding drunk driver hit him while he was out cycling with friends.
He said he was “lucky to survive” the crash which also damaged his back and pelvis and caused him to break several ribs on one side of his body.
While recovering, he was referred to reconstructive prosthetics, which has opened the Bristol 3D medical centre, the first of its kind in the UK to have 3D scanning, design and printing in a single NHS location.
Richards, from Devon, said surgeons tried to save his eye but “they were worried any infection could spread from my eye down the optic nerve to the brain so the eye was removed”.
“The decision was then made to go for free flap, taking tissue with blood arteries and veins and plumbing it into my neck, the flap completely covering the side of my face.”
He called the process of getting a 3D-printed face “not the most pleasant”. He added: “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.
Describing the incident that nearly cost him his life, which took place in July 2021, he said: “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 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.”
Richards said his two friends were hit by the car and thrown clear of it but he became trapped under the vehicle. “[I] was rolled along, with the engine and exhaust burning through one side of my body and the other side being crushed by the car.”
He said despite his initial “sceptical” feelings towards his treatment, he was happy he had followed through.
“I’m glad I’ve followed this treatment process as it has 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.”
Amy Davey, the senior reconstructive scientist at North Bristol NHS trust, said: “Surface scanning patients for prosthetics means that patients can be scanned while moving, and this technology can use that movement to aid the prostheses to accommodate movement.
“The 3D printers used involve advanced plastic resins whose properties allow direct application to the skin, with materials that are safe against the skin for long periods.
The man who struck Richards was sentenced to three years and banned from driving for seven years but it is believed he was released after one and a half years for good behaviour and for pleading guilty from the start.
Richards said: “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.”
