AUSTIN (KXAN) — Surgeons at Dell Children’s Medical Center have successfully performed the world’s first jaw reconstruction using a piece of a patient’s femur bone.
Abby Rodgers, 16, of Georgetown, was born with a genetic condition that left her with very little lower jaw bone. The condition has been known to give patients problems with breathing, talking and eating. Growing up, Abby endured several surgeries to compensate. Unfortunately, those procedures failed.
Dr. Raymond Harshbarger, a pediatric plastic surgeon with DCMC, designed a procedure that could help Abby longterm. It involved reconstructing her lower jaw with a piece of a bone in her leg.
Fully recovered, Abby is now able to eat solid food and has developed a strong liking for cheese enchiladas and Texas barbecue. Her speech has also improved and Abby’s mother says she is more confident than ever before.
“I definitely look better than I did before,” said Abby. “I look more normal.”
This month, Dr. Harshbarger will present Abby’s case in Tokyo, Japan to a group of surgeons from around the world at the 16th Congress of International Craniofacial Surgery.
