Depending on the procedure, it is often quite common for many patients to have very little idea of what exactly is going to be done to them. Not only is it difficult to explain complicated surgeries to patients who may not have a full understanding of how the body works, but many doctors, while quite talented surgeons, simply may not have the ability to clearly explain the problems that they are facing during the process in a way that the patient can understand. This is often a source of anxiety for many people, and it could potentially lead them to make medical decisions that may not be in their best interest.
“If you can print them you can hold them and turn them around in your hand … it’s an exact model — it’s less than 1 per cent off and that’s not clinically relevant. We can subtract (the tumour off) and it leaves you with the underlying jaw without the tumour … for patient education and pre-operative planning it’s really good,” director of surgical research Associate Professor Hunter-Smith explained to the Herald Sun.
Amusingly, Hunter-Smith and a junior doctor at the hospital, Michael Chae, weren’t even in the same room when they both had the idea at the same time. Both doctors were looking through a medical catalog and stumbled on an ad for a discounted 3D printer that would allow them to create visual aids for their patients. So with the approval of Hunter-Smith, the 26-year-old Dr. Chae has taken the lead in helping expand the hospital’s use of 3D printing for not only research, but improving overall patient care.
“Myself and Professor Hunter-Smith read an advert that there was a 3D printer on the market for only $1400 … then the emails started. Our focus of research here at Peninsula Health in Frankston is multifold — but the main point of our work is to make this technology available at the bedside. We’ve shown that 3D printing is helping for planning surgeries and for education. Hopefully it will translate into better outcomes for patients but we don’t know that yet — it’s bit early,” said Dr Chae.
Helping patients better visualize the procedure that they will be having done to them will hopefully help them make better, more informed medical decisions. But patients aren’t the only ones who benefit from these types of 3D visualizations. Doctors for instance, can 3D print broken or even shattered bones and practice reconstructing them before they ever open the patient up. Not only does it give them a better idea of how to put the bones back together, but it reduces the amount of time they need to do so, as well as potentially preventing further surgeries. Discuss this story in the 3D Printing and Medicine forum thread on 3DPB.com.