Aintree’s prosthetics team uses revolutionary technique in care of 20 month old Nuala

A Liverpool family has shared how LUHFT’s prosthetics team was involved in the care of their 20 month old daughter, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer which required her to have her left eye removed.

Last year, Nuala, who was just 10 months old at the time, was diagnosed with Alveolar soft part sarcoma, with a tumour growing behind her left eye. This type of cancer affects just six people per year in England. Under the care of Alder Hey, Nuala has had three surgeries, the most recent being to remove her eye to prevent her cancer from progressing.

Because of her young age, a revolutionary technique was used by teams at Aintree University Hospital to create a prosthetic which sits over Nuala’s eye socket.

Taran Malhotra, Lead Reconstructive Scientist and Specialist Maxillofacial Prosthetist at Aintree, said: “The conventional technique of creating a prototype prosthesis involves making a mould of the eye socket and creating a wax prototype on the patient’s face while they are in the room. Given Nuala’s young age, such an invasive approach wasn’t feasible.

“Instead, we used the advanced 3D technology at Aintree Hospital, combined with CT and MRI scans from Alder Hey, to make a prosthesis tailored to Nuala’s precise measurements, ensuring minimal physical contact.”

Aintree’s 3D planning and prosthetic rehabilitation service is nationally renowned for its excellence and the use of 3D technology in this process for Nuala has been revolutionary.

Taran added: “In the future, she can have orbital implants placed into her bone providing better retention, eliminating the need for any adhesive. As Nuala grows, we will continue to create progressively larger prosthetics to accommodate her development, ensuring the prosthetic remains functional and promotes her physical and emotional well-being.”

You can read Nuala’s story here.