My pioneering techniques have been applied beyond serving the needs of head and neck cancer patients. In 2018 I was the co-lead microsurgeon in the groundbreaking surgery performed at Sunnybrook Hospital to repair the jaw of a soldier from Ukraine who had been injured in the 2014 Crimean invasion. The soldier had lost part of his lower jaw and was left with difficulty speaking, eating, and breathing independently

Dr. Higgins co-led the planning and execution of the complex surgical procedure where the damaged portion of the soldier's jaw was removed and replaced with a custom implant. The surgical team used 3D printing technology to create a custom jaw implant for the soldier. The implant was made of titanium and was custom-designed to fit the soldier's unique facial structure.

A publication from Sunnybrook Magazine outlines how dramatically impactful this program is for patients' quality of life, and for many, how it is simply transformative.