With the continuous development of various medical technologies, the era of precise medicine has come. As an important part of digital medical transformation, 3D printing plays a vital role in preoperative planning, production of surgical guides, customized personalized prostheses, fixed braces and other medical areas.

Here is a case of 3D printing preoperative planning from the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion Hospital de Clinicas in Paraguay.

Background

The patient suffered a hip deformity due to a traffic accident in her childhood, and her health and daily life were severely affected. This 18-year-old girl has to rely on crutches to stand and walk. Her movement has been severely restricted and she is accompanied by repeated episodes of pain.

The doctor recommended the girl to undergo hip correction surgery after passing the traditional imaging examination. However, it is difficult to accurately analyze the anatomical structure only with the help of traditional two-dimensional images such as X-rays since the girl’s illness lasted for a long time and the condition was really complicated. The emergence of various problems prevents doctors from planning the best surgical plan for the girl before surgery, which is undoubtedly terrible for the girl who desires to stand and walk normally.

In response to the patient's condition, Dr. Federico Espinola, a surgical expert dedicated to 3D printing medical applications, proposed to use 3D printing technology to reconstruct the 3D model of the patient's hip from CT scan to help the surgical plan to obtain the best result.

3D printing technology assists preoperative planning

Dr. Federico Espinola synthesized the 3D model file of the patient's hip bone according to the patient's CT scan; and then used a 3D printer to print out a hip bone model of her. Through the 1:1 3D model presentation, the doctor can analyze the pathological structure from all angles, and come up with the best targeted plan for the patient.

Dr. Federico Espinola performed surgery with the help of 3D printing technology. Fortunately, no complications occurred after the operation. The patient is now recovering well and can walk normally.

Flashforge Creator 3 accurately prints the model

Flashforge Creator 3 assisted doctors in completing 3D printing. Dr. Federico Espinola finally chose it because its print size fits the patient’s bone model and can be printed accurately within a few hours. The successful application of 3D printing made doctors highly praise Creator 3: "Flashgorge Creator 3 has excellent print quality and is easy to use. It has helped us to print complex and detailed models, which is useful for clinical applications in surgery and very advantageous!"

3D printed medical models are currently a common application in clinical medicine. On the one hand, it is convenient for doctors and patients to communicate intuitively on surgical plans, improve communication efficiency, and treat diseases faster and better. On the other hand, doctors can provide the best treatment plan with the help of preoperative preview using 3D printed models, increasing the success rate of surgery.

The advancement of precise medicine helps to provide patients with customized medical solutions. As 3D printing technology is recognized by more people in the medical industry, it is playing an increasingly important role in digital intelligent medical care. Through the joint efforts of people inside and outside the industry, 3D printing will continue to integrate and develop with medicine to benefit more patients.