A victim of a serious motorcycle accident has had revolutionary surgery to rebuild his face using a series of 3D prints.

Stephen Power, a patient at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, is thought to be one of the first trauma patients in the world to have implants from a 3D printer at every stage in the procedure.

Despite wearing a helmet, Mr Power suffered multiple injuries including a fractured skull, two broken cheekbones, and a broken jaw and nose, which left him hospitalised for four months.

Maxillofacial surgeon, Adrian Sugar, said the new technology took away the element of guesswork, which can be challenging in reconstructive surgery, as it uses CT scans to create and print a 3D model of the patient’s skull before cutting and printing the plates to match.

Louise Westlake, a serious injury solicitor based in Thompsons Solicitors’ Cardiff office, said: “This innovative surgery marks a major breakthrough.

“We work with hundreds of victims of all types of serious injuries ever year and reconstructive surgery is hugely complex but also emotionally traumatic for the patient who is already traumatised. The success of the procedure for Mr Power has hugely positive implications for other patients with serious and life-changing injuries.”