JANE LUPTON, facial prosthesis technician, makes artificial facial parts to help patients return to their everyday lives. At right, she puts the finishing touches on an artificial ear.
Some parts are artificial, but the smiles are real
By Michelle Robertson
Staff Writer
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Tucked away in a quiet basement
laboratory of a small building in Duke's
vast medical center complex, you can find
the hideway where Jane Lupton sits
diligently molding plaster and wax
models of variously shaped noses and
ears.
With a touch of the artist, she mixes
and matches colors from her palette until
she obtains the exact skin tone she is
looking for. Softly chiseling, she carefully
curves, shapes, smooths over and finally
colors in these handcrafted facial parts.
Jane Lupton is a facial prosthetics
technician in the Department of
Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Despite the complexity of her title,
there is a simple explanation of Lupton's
work. She fashions artificial likenesses of
parts of the face — facial prostheses —
and fits these on persons who have
experienced some disfigurement due to
disease, accident or congenital defects.
Combats depression
Most of Lupton's patients are former
cancer victims who have undergone
extensive surgery. Most, she says, are
psychologically depressed at their loss.
Through her work, Lupton helps to
combat this depression and facilitate the
patient's readjustment and return to
normal life.
"Considering the anguish resulting
from the loss of a nose, ear or eye section,
you can really understand the resurgence
of hope that comes when a successful
prosthesis is made and the patient is able
to return to his normal way of life,"
Lupton said.
More beneficial if better known
But, she went on to explain, the facial
prosthesis unit has had a very real
problem making itself known to the
people who could most benefit from its
services.
"It is difficult to publicize this kind of
service, difficult to get information on
our availability to the patients because
their health care team might not know
about us," she said.
Even with the major breakthroughs
that have been made in reconstructive
plastic surgery, Lupton said, there are still
many cases where that procedure is
either not possible or not advisable
because of other medical complications.
The facial prosthesis unit here offers an
alternative.
Two-day process
The mechanics involved in fitting a
patient are somewhat complicated but the
end result is the best matched and most
aesthetically pleasing prosthesis for the
patient.
The process usually takes two full days
of working with the patient for proper
molding and fitting. This is normally done
after the patient has left the hospital and
may require an overnight stay for those
who don't live close enough to commute.
Before beginning any work, however,
Lupton first consults with the potential
patient, carefully explains the entire
procedure and allows the patient to decide
if he or she wants to proceed.
"It is important that the person clearly
understand what he's in for," she said.
Natural and lifelike
Lupton begins making the prosthesis
first by creating a plaster impression of
the disfigurement. She then fits a wax
mold over the plastic model. From the
wax mold, she makes a plastic or silicone
rubber prosthesis, which is then tinted to
match the patient's skin color.
The finished product is very natural
and lifelike, the technician said.
One patient remarked, "Folks who
know me realize that I had work done on
iConHnueJ on page 4)
Nurse researchers to discuss variety of topics
The Third Biennial Eastern Conference
on Nursing Research will be held at Duke
Wednesday through Friday, April 12-14.
The conference, sponsored this year by
the School of Nursing, is designed to
r
bring experienced nurse researchers
together with nurses who seek to
improve their research skills, according to
Dorothy Brundage, assistant professor of
nursing and chairperson of the event.
Some 150 individuals from the eastern
United States are expected to attend, she
said.
Twenty scientific papers will be
presented on subjects ranging from
assertive behavior and chronic pain to
obesity in women and the role of the
nurse practitioner. Three guest speakers
will highlight the conference.
At 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dr. Mary
Conway, dean of nursing at the
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee,
will speak on "Clinical Research —
Instrument for Change."
Dr. Ida Marie Martinson, professor of
nursing at the University of Minnesota,
will discuss "Home Care, the Dying Child
and the Family" at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Friday, Dr. Susan Gortner, chief of the
Nursing Research Branch of the
Department of Health, Education and
Welfare's Division of Nursing, will speak
at 8:30 a.m. Her talk is entitled
"Preparation of Nurse Researchers: The
National Research Service Awards
Program."
All presentations will be made in the
East Duke Building on East Campus.
Persons wishing more information about
the conference should call Sheila Gainey
at 684-5388.
Professional news
A MOST CONGENIAL fELLOWMOVES ON — Bill Reed, captured here with his usual smile on his
face, has left his post as senior project manager for the Medical Center Planning Office to assume
a smiliar position at N.C. Memorial Hospital and the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Hell
be working with another former Duke man, Warren Howard, who is director of facilities planning
there. At a farewell party in his honor, Reed shares something amusing with Bob Winfree (left),
deputy assistant vice president for health affairs (planning and analysis) and Randy Bell of L.A.
Downey and Son. (Phelo by John Beclpn)
Dr. Sue Y.S. Kimm, assistant professor of
pediatrics and medicine, was a visiting lecturer
at The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and
Public Health on March 3. An earlier report
incorrectly identified her as an assistant
lecturer.
Dr. Reginald D. Carter, assistant professor
of community and family medicine, attended
the sixth annual Conference on New Health
Practitioners, in Las Vegas, Nev., April 1-4.
He presented a report from the Research and
Review Committee which included profiles of
more than 3,500 physician assistants.
Dr. Stanley Wallace Weltzner, professor of
anesthesiology, won first prize for a scientific
exhibit presented at the International
Anesthesia Research Society 52nd Congress
March 19-23.
The exhibit, which Weitzner presented with
Dr. Leslie Rendell-Baker of New York's Mount
Sinai School of Medicine, was entitled "Safer
Gas Machines through Standards."
This weekend Weitzner will present a
lecture to the American Osteopathic College of
Anesthesiologists entitled "Management of
Continuous Mechanical Ventilation." He also
will conduct a workshop on "Adult
Ventilators."
"Ventilators and Alphabet Soup, IPPV,
CPAP, IMV, PEEP," was the title of an address
Weitzner gave before the Sixth Joint
Conference, New Jersey Chapter, American
College of Chest Physicians, March 8 in
Cranford, N.J.