This week, 3DPI’s Andrew Wheeler covered Boston Children’s Hospitals efforts to develop a fully-fledged 3D printing center to aid in surgery prep and other medical treatments. Discussing the brain surgery of 16-year-old Myalynn Ranson, Andrew explains that the hospital is spending about $1.2 million on their 3D printing division, installing machines, training staff, and conducting studies to prove the efficacy of 3D printing in medicine. It seems as though the money is going to a good place, as the hospital has reported yet another story about improving a young patient’s life with 3D printing.
In a four-part video series, Boston Children’s Hospital follows the story of Violet, a toddler born with a dangerous facial birth defect. Before performing the complex craniofacial surgery on their young patient, Drs. Meara, Proctor and Weinstock were able to create a 3D printed replica of Violet’s skull on a Stratays Objet Connex 500. Practicing on the models before the more than seven hour surgery, the doctors were able to ensure that they could safely cut away her skull, without damaging her brain.
Anecdotally and, in some cases, clinically, 3D printed models are serving to help prepare surgeons, reduce operating times, and educate patients in the face of complex surgeries. So, to uplift you this weekend, I’ve embedded Parts 1, 2, and 3 below as a particularly endearing example of this practice that, I am positive, will only increase with time. Stay tuned for Part 4 on January 26th to see Violet’s recovery.
