Anelia Myburgh is a cancer survivor whose face was disfigured after doctors removed a growth.
Anelia Myburgh is a cancer survivor whose face was disfigured after doctors removed a growth. Altogether, she lost 80 percent of her upper jaw.
"They removed the majority of the upper jaw, so I only have the two back teeth on each side left, they removed a portion of the lip and from the understructure of the nose area," Myburgh, 31, told Reuters.
Hoping to get her confidence back, Myburgh underwent a rare surgery to have a 3D-printed jaw implanted.
"I just want to be able to actually walk down the street and not have people stare,” Myburgh said. “Like, that's my ultimate goal.”
Maxillofacial surgeon George Dimitroulis credits the new technology with being able to change Myburgh’s life.
"The fact that we can 3D-print the frame where we can anchor down some teeth for her, would give her back her quality of life," Dimitroulis said.
After a five-hour surgery, Myburgh emerged with a new jaw, fitted with a titanium frame.
The good news: It was a success.
"It looks normal!” an ecstatic Myburgh declared, adding that she's looking forward to biting into a juicy burger.
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