M e d i c a l
g
Transparent Stratasys 3D printed model of a patient-specific aortic arch, used by the University Hospital Mainz to practice complex endovascular surgeries.
“The practice on the 3D printed model enabled the surgeons to ensure the correct design and fit of the stent implant the first time – significantly reducing time and cost in the operating theatre.”
74
According to the University hospital, the use of 3D printed models for surgical planning has resulted in a significant reduction in costs when designing and fitting implants, and saving time during surgery, leading to an overall improvement in patient outcomes. As an internationally recognized Center of Excellence for Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, the University Hospital Mainz provides research and patient care in areas related to the heart, thorax and blood vessels in the human body. The hospital treats patients suffering from life-threatening aortic illnesses needing immediate attention and patient-specific surgical treatment. “On average, each vascular-related patient case can have 1000-2000 CT scans, which the surgeons use to analyze and diagnose an illness. This can be ambiguous and time-consuming when the issue is complex,” says Prof. Dr. Dorweiler. “Looking through the CT Scans, it was impossible to clearly visualize the anatomy,” says Prof. Dr. Dorweiler. “So we decided to 3D print a model, and it was then for the first time that it became clear what the origin and magnitude of the problem was. Not only did we
March 2018 www.makepartsfast.com
Medical MPF 3-18 V4.LL.indd 74
use the model to explain our findings to the patient to increase her compliance for the planned 3-step operation, but we even took it into each of the three surgeries as a point of reference during operation, which was crucial to the successful outcome.” To date, treatment of complex aortic illnesses with the endovascular method has been a difficult procedure. Surgeons rely on a monitor to implant a small wiremesh tube (stent) through the arteries to be placed at the affected area of the aorta. In a separate recent case, Prof. Dr. Dorweiler and his team faced this challenge with a complex case of aortic arch aneurysm. Requiring an intricate implant, the team undertook a preoperative simulation of the surgery using a stent prototype and 3D printed aortic arch model of the patient. The practice on the 3D printed model enabled the surgeons to ensure the correct design and fit of the stent implant the first time – significantly reducing time and cost in the operating theatre. “As pointed out in current published studies, there are savings in operating time of 5-45 minutes when using 3D printed models prior to surgery,” says Prof. Dr. Dorweiler. “Research is still DESIGN WORLD
2/28/18 8:56 AM
DW_In