SALT LAKE CITY — In September 2023, Rudy Noorlander survived being mauled by a grizzly bear in Montana but lost his lower jaw in the attack.
For the past year and a half, FOX 13 News has been following his story and how surgeons at the University of Utah helped put him back together.
WATCH: Man keeps sense of humor following grizzly bear attack
As Noorlander prepares for his final checkup, we wanted to introduce you to three of those surgeons.
After surviving the nightmare of being mauled by a grizzly bear, it took a dream team of doctors to help put Noorlander’s jaw back together again.
It began with the first assessment from Dr. Hilary McCrary, a head and neck surgeon.
“Which included a really big surgery, which would take bone from his leg to reconstruct his jawbone," McCrary said. "And this was, of course ,pretty shocking for the family and for Rudy to hear.”
McCrary said she had already performed dozens of similar surgeries, but mainly involving cancer patients.
“The mechanism of injury, that being a bear attack, was new," she said.
McCrary and the other surgeons were all able to consult with each other virtually, using state-of-the-art computer imaging so there was no guesswork when it was time for the facial procedure.
Dr. David Adams is a dentist and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at University of Utah Health. He said these advances are critical.
“They perform their virtual magic in taking pieces from one part of the body and designing those pieces so that they fit into the facial skeleton," he said.
Dr. Rhet Tucker agrees.
“I mean, that’s the most important part, right? Coming in with a plan. You can’t wing this," he said.
Tucker is a maxillofacial surgeon and prosthodontist, and the third member of Rudy’s team.
“So I have the fun part of the process, right? I get to put his teeth back in and get him chewing again," he joked. "The surgeons get all the hard parts; they've got to get the foundation there, but I get the fun part of putting teeth back in.”
With that part of the process now completed, Noorlander is coming in for his final check-up and the big reveal of his new jaw.
Adams marvels at Noorlander's journey so far.
“This patient has come a long way since our initial contact with him," Adams said.
Tucker said the goal is to have Noorlander pass what they call “the supermarket test.”
“That they can go out in public again and nobody’s staring at them," Tucker said. "So the fact that we put Rudy back together and he’s able to live his normal life and nobody’s staring at him and asking him what happened and all those different things, is great!”
McCrary said cases like Noorlander's are a big part of what draws all of them to this kind of work.
“Once you kind of go down this road with a patient, with a big reconstructive surgery, it really does form a bond between the surgeon and the patient, and that’s one of the best parts of my job," McCrary said.
Noorlander will be alongside his surgical dream team and speaking with reporters during a press event Friday.
