Dad with 3D-printed face says treatment has 'transformed' his life

Graeme Heward, 62, underwent around 50 operations after he was diagnosed with a ‘one-in-100,000’ nasal and sinus cancer.

The fit physiotherapist, who had always exercised regularly, said the huge growth was only discovered by doctors after he experienced a watery eye.

He later required chemotherapy and radiotherapy, along with extensive surgery as the tumour was fracturing his right eye and putting pressure on his nose.

Graeme sadly lost these features as he battled the disease, but he was later fitted with a 3D-printed mould, which is secured to his skull with strong magnets.

He has praised surgeons at North Manchester General Hospital who provided him with the incredible prosthetic, saying they are ‘worth their weight in gold’.

Dad-of-two Graeme said: "Iwona from the prosthetics team combines her incredible artistic and creative skills with technology to create the most fantastic resemblance of what I used to look like.

"The department has absolutely transformed my life, and staff are worth their weight in gold

"Radiotherapy can soften bone, so there was concern that the magnets would not take after the surgery.

"Luckily it was successful, and I now have seven magnets in my skull, meaning my prosthetics are more secure and balanced – I can even wear glasses.”

Graeme, from Lymm, was originally diagnosed with nasal and sinus cancer in 2011, just before his 50th birthday.

He had gone for a scan in hospital following his relatively minor symptoms and was ‘totally shocked’ to find out that he had a huge tumour in his face.

Graeme said: "My only symptom was a watery eye.

“Eventually, I went for a scan at Wythenshawe Hospital, which showed that I had a tumour as big as an egg, putting pressure on my nose and fracturing my eye.

"I was totally shocked. As a physiotherapist, I have always eaten well and exercised regularly. I was just very unlucky.

"My cancer was one-in-100,000, which if you put it into perspective, is just one person in the entire of Wembley Stadium.

Graeme Heward, from Lymm, says the prosthetic has 'transformed' his life. Picture: SWNS

"That would just look like a spec, and I was the spec.”

Due to the delicate location of his tumour, it was very difficult for medics to monitor, and as a result, Graeme has undergone around dozens of surgeries.

He also had two rounds of both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and he was later fitted with a full-prosthetic right eye and nose and a partially-prosthetic forehead.

The oral and maxillofacial department, based at North Manchester General Hospital, designed the incredibly life-like artificial body part.

Staff then performed the necessary surgery on Graeme, which involved using magnets to make sure that these were fixed properly.

The process involves a CT scan, followed by the use of a 3D printer to manufacture the mould for the prosthetic.

This helps to make the very delicate surgery as minimally invasive as possible.

Implants are then surgically inserted into the patient's skull and are left to settle there for four months before the magnets are attached to fix it in place.

Graeme has never allowed his cancer to stop him, referring to it as an 'alien' he now has to live with.

He has also participated in a charity cycle across the country for Maggie's Centre and regularly plays sports and walks his two dogs.

He said: "I am a very active person, but having both chemotherapy and radiotherapy was physically affecting me.

"I had to change my lifestyle to work around it and began working less hours, but it never completely stopped me. I changed my sport of choice from tennis to racquetball.

"I have two sons, who were aged 19 and 17 at the time of my diagnosis and attended a lot of my appointments.

"Now one is an anaesthetist, and one is an ear, nose and throat surgeon."

He added: "I refer to my cancer as 'the alien'. I didn't want to make friends with it and I felt invaded.

"It is it or me. Eventually, I decided that we could live together if it did not kill me. Although I have not yet been given the 'all clear', I am in the best position now than I ever have been.”