High-tech fix to improve Giffords' life

TUCSON, Ariz. (WISH) - Doctors repaired Gabrielle Giffords' skull on Wednesday, the latest milestone in her recovery from an assassination attempt and a procedure that experts say will improve her quality of life.

A gunman shot the congresswoman in the head more than four months ago in Tucson, Ariz., and doctors had to remove a portion of her skull to relieve pressure on her brain.

They've now gone back in to fix that. 

"They've actually put together a 3-D CAT scan, a CT scan of her skull, and then created a custom fit piece of bone - not real bone, it's made of a plastic or hard substance," said Dr. Reid C. Thompson, Vanderbilt Brain Tumor Center.

That implant will go under her scalp so her hair can grow back. Since her initial surgery in January, Giffords has had to wear a helmet to protect her head.

Doctors say today's surgery was a relatively simple procedure, and it should only take her a day or two to recover.

When she's released from rehab, doctors say she'll continue speech, occupational and physical therapy at an outpatient clinic.