The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) is using 3D photography to achieve better outcomes for children with craniofacial conditions while reducing the requirement for invasive and burdensome medical imaging. The RCH Craniofacial Surgery Unit was one of the first in the world to regularly record their results with 3D photography.
3D photography is a system in which multiple standard photographs are taken from different directions and a computer program is used to assemble those 2D images into a 3D accurate representation. The RCH has been at the forefront of 3D photography application to document the growth and outcomes of children with craniofacial condition who undergo surgical and conservative treatment.
The RCH has the busiest paediatric craniofacial surgery unit in Australia, with a long-standing commitment to innovation and excellence. The hospital recognised that accurate measurement outcomes was the most important factor for obtaining excellent clinical results, and initiated the 3D photography program.
“The 3D Photography service is a sustainable and integral component of the RCH Clinical Photography department activities and has also found applications well beyond the craniofacial surgery application,” Medical Photographer Robert Reitmaier said.
On average, 70-80 trans-cranial surgical patients would need post-operative CT scans each year, which typically require a general anaesthetic for paediatric patients. 3D imaging negates the need for post-operative CT scans; this provides a safer and more positive medical experience for children, parents and staff, and results in cost savings for the hospital. 3D photography has proved extraordinarily useful in helmet therapy for children with deformational head shape, allowing helmets to be constructed without subjecting babies to paster moulding and allowing more accurately moulded helmets. In some cases this may have prevented the need for surgery.
The RCH is continuing to develop the database of ‘normal’ head shapes, which will be the first research repository for documenting normal growth of the face and head in Australian children. This will generate new insights into facial growth which will have implications for the management of a range of craniofacial conditions.
Although this practice is now widespread, the RCH remains at the cutting edge of the use of this technology. The hospital is now expanding the service to measure results for animation surgery for facial palsy, fat grafting and other techniques.
Read more about the RCH in the 2014/15 Quality of Care Report.