Cyclist gets 3D-printed face after drunk driver left him with third-degree burns | NHS

A cyclist who suffered serious third-degree burns to his head after being hit by a drunk driver has been given a 3D printed face.

Dave Richards, 75, received a 3D prosthetic from the NHS that fits the space on his face and mimics the color of his hair, eyes and skin. His face was burned all over after a speeding drunk driver hit him while he was cycling with friends.

He said he was “lucky to survive” the crash which also damaged his back and pelvis and left him with several broken ribs on one side of his body.

During his recovery he was referred to reconstructive prosthetics, which opened the Bristol 3D Medical Centre, the first of its kind in the UK to offer 3D scanning, design and printing in a single NHS site.

Richards, from Devon, said surgeons tried to save his eye, but “they were concerned an infection might spread from my eye to the optic nerve to the brain, so the eye was removed.”

“The decision was then made to go with a free flap, taking tissue containing blood arteries and veins and placing it in my neck, with 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: “At the start of my recovery, I felt very vulnerable and wouldn’t expose myself to social situations.

“It took me a long time to feel comfortable with my image, how I thought people looked at me and what they thought of me – but I’ve come a long way in that regard.

Describing the incident which almost cost him his life, which took place in July 2021, he said: “It was a beautiful sunny day, and shortly after the ride we were going up a hill on a B road, and this guy comes up behind us at high speed and over the drink-driving limit.

“He was on the phone, he was running behind us and we were all in a line. He wanted to swerve around us, but there was a car coming the other way, so it either hit the car or it hit us.”

Richards said his two friends were struck by the car and ejected, but he remained trapped under the vehicle. “[I] “I drove with the engine and exhaust burning on one side of my body and the other side being crushed by the car.”

He said that despite his initial “skeptical” feelings about his treatment, he was glad he followed through.

“I’m glad I went through this treatment process because it got me to where I am today. I’ve always said, whatever treatment is offered, if I think there’s a benefit and the risks aren’t too high, I’ll try anything and I’ll give it a try and that’s still the case.”

Amy Davey, senior reconstruction scientist at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “Surface scanning of patients for prosthetics means patients can be scanned while moving, and this technology can use this movement to help prosthetics adapt to movement.

“The 3D printers used use advanced plastic resins whose properties allow direct application to the skin, with materials safe for the skin for long periods of time.

The man who hit Richards was sentenced to three years in prison and banned from driving for seven years, but is believed to have been released after a year and a half for good behavior and pleading guilty early on.

Richards said: “As you can imagine, I am not very happy with his reduced sentence, as I almost lost my life and have to live daily with all the pain caused by my injuries.”