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3D printing lets surgeons practice surgery on life-like replicas before you go under the knife

3D Printed Model Guides Surgeons to Successful Treatment of Brain Aneurysm. (Business Wire)
3D Printed Model Guides Surgeons to Successful Treatment of Brain Aneurysm. (Business Wire)

A mother of three with a life-threatening brain aneurysm was recently saved by surgeons who were able to practise her complex surgery beforehand on a 3D-printed replica of her brain vessel anatomy, according to a press release.

And, the ability to make 3D-printed models could help save the lives of many more patients in the future.

“Surgeons at some of the world’s leading hospitals are now able to quickly pinpoint affected areas on individual patients and practice surgeries on realistic anatomical 3D-printed models,” explained Scott Radar, general manager of medical solutions at Stratasys Ltd., in a press release.

“This is expected to dramatically minimize risks associated with delays and complications stemming from real-time, in-procedure diagnoses.”

In the case of Teresa Flint, being able to experiment on a 3D-printed replica allowed her doctors to try out techniques and formulate a plan in advance of her going under the knife, said one of her doctors at The Jacobs Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. in a press release.

Stratasys uses flexible photopolymer material on a 3D printer to mimic the feel of human tissue and its vascular structure.

The company, with headquarters in Minnesota and Israel, has been able to not only help mothers with brain aneurysms, but children with heart problems, too.

Stratasys 3D Printed Replica of Patient's Complex Brain Aneurysm. (Business Wire)
Stratasys 3D Printed Replica of Patient's Complex Brain Aneurysm. (Business Wire)

Tiny hearts

Little Mia Gonzalez had a structural defect in which a complete vascular ring wraps around the trachea or esophagus, restricting airflow and causing coughing and frequent respiratory infections.

Her doctors at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami got Stratasys to create an anatomically-precise 3D model of Gonzalez’s heart using her CT scan.

“For a surgeon, there was something … compelling about holding an exact replica of her heart in my hands. My team could visualize the operation before we started,” said Dr. Redmond Burke, director of pediatric cardiovascular surgery at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, in a press release.

Practice makes perfect

On this side of the border, doctors are also optimistic about the medical uses of 3D printers. Dr. Mac Quantz,a cardiac surgeon at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ont., spoke last year of using 3D-printed valve models to train residents.

Dr. Quantz has taken courses in computer design and 3D printing and is optimistic about future applications, according to a report in Dialogue, a publication for members of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Hopefully, down the road many surgeons around the globe will be able to use 3D printing to practise complex surgeries, and ultimately save more lives in the process.