History
iRSM has its origins in the dynamic head and neck reconstruction activity centered at COMPRU (Craniofacial, Osseointegration, and Maxillofacial Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit). Founded by Dr. Gordon Wilkes and Dr. John Wolfaardt, COMPRU's international reputation for innovation and advances in patient care and research was earned by combining expertise in surgery, medicine, dentistry, rehabilitation medicine, engineering, and computing science to create a fully integrated environment for clinical care, research, education and training in reconstructive medicine and technology.
At its inception in 1993, COMPRU was focused on the use of osseointegrated implant biotechnologies for prosthetic replacement of craniofacial defects. Today, iRSM is an institute dedicated to reconstruction of the head and neck, with a comprehensive team of interdisciplinary professionals providing a full range of treatment expertise within a patient-centered model of care. The institute is an acknowledged international leader and is recognized as a reference centre for excellence in head and neck reconstruction and rehabilitation. Over the past decade iRSM has developed substantive research partnerships and collaborations with organizations all over the world.
As a provincial, national, and international referral centre, iRSM provides complex specialized osseointegration technologies to patients with head and neck defects resulting from cancer, trauma, and congenital conditions. In 1997, iRSM was one of the first publicly funded healthcare programs in Canada to register an ISO 9000 quality standard for application in clinical processes. Its research system was registered under ISO 9000 in 2007.
