The Westerner for September 27, 2010

Guest Speaker:  Myka Osinchuk, BSc, MBA was introduced by Joe.  Originally a speech pathologist, Myka was founding president of BioAlberta before becoming executive director for Institute for Reconstructive Science in Medicine.  Her talk was on Project Spare Part Human - Raising the Bar for Innovation in Reconstructive Medicine - making people whole again.

The process combines clinical care, research & education through research in a clinical setting.  Innovation driven by unmet clinical needs of patients.

The program was originally talked about in 1986 and was launched in 1992 partly through a grant from the Rotary Club of Edmonton Mayfield.  It is specialized tertiary care but is conducted in a primary care setting - the Misericordia Community Hospital.  Since 2006, it is a partnership between Convenant Health, University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services.  There is a dedicated staff of 35 with access to 33 extended staff which includes surgeons, engineers and designers.  They treat patients all over the world but most are from Western Canada. 

Components of the project include:  A) jaw reconstruction implant <treat disfigured people with process including chemotherapy and radiation>; B) bone conduction amplication <hearing aids for people with no ears>; C) head & neck surgery<example is person who cannot swallow without assistance - improve quality of life>; D) extra oral osseointegration & reconstruction < replace parts of head like ears lost in accidents or disease>; E) autogenous ear reconstruction < reconstruction of missing ears especially for children to prevent negative peer pressure, similar technology to touch implant just more technical = replaces gluing prothesis to body>

One example of the last was implanting snap onto bars and giving the patient 2 ears with slightly different looks.  Their program has reduced the time to produce prothesis ears down from days to hours using computer scan technology - scan remaing good ear and produce mirror image for other side of the head.  Another process is orbital reconstruction to replace damaged (cancerous, injury) eye socket including a prothesis eye.  They are working on a way to have the false eye move (track) with the good eye.

Autogenous is a permanent replacement.  Bone conduction hearing aids repair conductive hearing loss which is different than cochlear hearing loss.  In replacing the jaw, bone is taken from the patient's leg which is then grafted to make a new jaw.  The patient is treated from the time of treating the tumour (removal) to the final implant (has been 36 to 48 months but the program is working on getting the time reduced to less than 1/2 year).  Biomechanical imaging is a process trying to use CADCAM computer skills to do virtual imaging in diagnosis and restoration.

The group deals with researchers around the world through knowledge networks.

Patients in Alberta have their care funded 100% by Alberta Health Services.  Patients in other areas of the world may depend on charity to obtain help as many do not have government or insurance assistance.   Surgeries are done at the University of Alberta Hospital but initial assessment and all followup is done @ the Misericordia Hospital.

Myka was thanked by Ben Doz.

Paul Harris by 5: Ann Orsini was given her pin by president Mike - thanks for the financial support of the Rotary International Foundation, Ann.