And perfect is something he’s proven to be attainable. Dr. Janus collaborated with his colleagues in the onsite 3-D printing lab to improve upon a very complicated surgical process. Using high-definition 3-D printers, the team fabricates an exact copy of a patient’s facial structure, including the section of damaged or diseased bone that needs to be removed.
They use the 3-D printed replica to make surgical cutting guides to ensure the precise amount of damaged bone is cut away, and that the replacement bone they harvest from the patient’s leg is cut to fit perfectly in its place. Ensuring the bone-to-bone connection in a patient’s jaw, for example, is restored to its full function with minimal change in the patient’s appearance.
“That's innovation to me. It's just always taking that next step, whether it's using augmented reality to be able to see parathyroid while you're doing surgery or to see tumors as you take them out. Or changing the way that you cut bone to make it something that's going to give a patient a better outcome,” says Dr. Janus.
As someone who understands the value of collaboration and teamwork, Dr. Janus is working together with his surgical colleagues in Otolaryngology, (also known as Ear, Nose, and Throat or ENT) to use 3-D printing to enhance the process of treating advanced head and neck cancer; often working in teams. The approach often saves his patients hours in surgery and results in quicker recovery times.
That's innovation to me. It's just always taking that next step.”
“It's a beautiful thing to watch multiple head and neck surgeons fulfill their role in removing the cancer and reconstructing the patient. It's energizing, honestly,” says Dr. Janus. “These cases can take upwards of 12 hours without this technology and a team approach using multiple surgeons. With 3-D guides and extremely talented partners, you’re giving someone a more precise surgery while simultaneously saving the patient four to six hours of surgical time. Being more precise while being more efficient is ultimately better for the patient.”
Because Dr. Janus and his team treat a high volume of complex cases, including thyroid cancer, parathyroid disease, parotid tumors, and tumors of the tonsil and tongue base, he’s always looking for a better way. This high level of experience leads to world-class expertise; but he isn’t content with maintaining the status quo. Patients can count on Dr. Janus to continue improving, innovating, and imagining new techniques to reduce surgery time, speed recovery, and improve the lives of his patients.
Creating what’s never been before would seem like the ultimate reward, but for Dr. Janus, the most fulfilling part of what he does happens outside the operating room, when his patients return for their quarterly and yearly scheduled follow-up visits. “When I’m able to see that they’re healthy, living their best lives, and thriving with the passage of time,” he says, “it’s uplifting not just for them, but for me as well.”