Surgeons Practise Using 3D Printers

3D printing is becoming more and more popular in the field of medicine as it helps doctors prepare for procedures and in making prosthetics.

17:06 25 November 2015

Surgeons at the Jacobs Institute in Buffalo, New York, have successfully carried out a delicate operation with the help of 3D printing technology.

 

The patient, Theresa Flint from New York state, was diagnosed with an aneurysm causing her to suffer from vision problems and recurrent headaches. Her condition required immediate treatment to prevent the aneurysm from rupturing.

 

The usual way to treat such problem is to implant a metallic basket that strengthens the artery wall. However, scans of her brain revealed weak blood vessel.

 

Dr Adnan Siddiqui, chief medical officer at the Jacobs Institute in Buffalo, New York, who directed the treatment, said: "It was a serious problem from the standpoint that she had an extremely irregular brain aneurysm that would be tricky to treat with micro-surgery."

 

To determine the best and safest approach, the surgeons turned the patient's scans into a 3D model that allowed them to practise the operation.

 

"While we were doing that mock procedure we realised that we had to change some of the tools we wanted to use, given her anatomy," said Dr Siddiqui.

 

"The day of surgery came and we tried out exactly what we thought would work best," he said, adding that Ms Flint had "done great" since the aneurysm was corrected.