attached mail follows:
Community Pulls Together To Give Climbing Sherpa a New Life (PR Newswire; 05/05/98) GOLDEN, Colo., May 5 /PRNewswire/ When an opportunity arises to help save a man's life, who years earlier saved your own you take it. It was 13 years ago when Lhakpa Ongchu Lama Sherpa saved the life of Dr. Paul Zanowiak, a Houston dentist. They were ascending Langtang Mountain near Mt. Everest when Dr. "Z" caught Reiter's Syndrome, making it impossible to finish the climb, let alone walk. Lhakpa, a Sherpa who was leading the trek, made a crude harness and carried the dentist for three days down the mountain to seek medical attention. "I have no doubt that I would not be alive if it weren't for Lhakpa's efforts," Zanowiak said. Ever since, the two have become dear friends, and they yearly travel together through Nepal bringing dental supplies to the clinic that Dr. "Z" set up on the path to Mt. Everest. Recently Lhakpa developed mandibular ankylosis, which is commonly known as "lock jaw," a condition in which the jawbone actually fuses to the skull, making it impossible for him to open his mouth, let alone eat a normal diet. Dr. "Z" enlisted the help of a few friends, and now a surgery is planned for May 22nd, in Houston, to alleviate Lhakpa from this painful and life- threatening situation. These friends include Medical Modeling Corporation, Houston's Methodist Hospital, Dr. John Helfrick (a Houston-based oral and maxillofacial surgeon), and TMJ Implants, Inc. (a Colorado-based manufacturer of temporomandibular joint implants). They have all waived their fees, a donation totaling over $100,000 to help a grateful Lhakpa. Medical Modeling Corporation of Golden, Colorado, has produced a plastic model of Lhakpa's bone structure from a CT scan taken of his skull. Using a rapid prototyping process called stereolithography, Medical Modeling Corporation produced a physical model of the Sherpa's skull and jaw area. This 3D model allows Dr. Helfrick to pre-plan Lhakpa's surgery, saving time in the operating room, as well as offering the patient a better result. "When we were presented with Lhakpa's story, we were not only touched by the humanity, but we knew our anatomical model could help return Lhakpa's temporomandibular joints to health," said Andy Christensen, General Manager of Medical Modeling Corporation. "We just wanted to help." Using the anatomical model produced by Medical Modeling Corporation, Dr. John Helfrick and Dr. Robert Christensen (President of TMJ Implants, Inc.) directed the development of a TMJ Patient-Specific(TM) Cobalt-Chrome joint prosthesis produced by TMJ Implants, Inc. These prostheses will in effect totally replace the Sherpa's jaw joints. Dr. Helfrick will perform the implant surgery to relieve the Sherpa's condition. "It's only fair that the one person who saved my life gives me the chance to help him with his life," Zanowiak said. "It's just the way the Sherpa people are anyway you give up yourself and it comes back again." SOURCE Medical Modeling Corporation -0- 05/05/98 /CONTACT: Andy Christensen of Medical Modeling, 303-273-5344, infomedicalmodeling.com/ /Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/pub/pd/pdz?fPRN/prnphotos&grid2 or NewsCom, 305-448-8411/ /Web site: http://www.medicalmodeling.com/ CO: Medical Modeling Corporation ST: Colorado IN: MTC SU: {PRNewswire:Pharmaceutical-0505.336} 05/05/98
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