Every day it seems as if there is another amazing use for 3D printing, which emerges within the medical community. Today we hear about a 3D printed kidney. No, scientists have not 3D printed out an actual human kidney just yet, but they have printed out an exact replica of a kidney which has been ravaged by cancer. Surgeons from Japan announced yesterday at the European Association of Urology congress in Stockholm, Sweden that they have accomplished this feat in order to help simulate major cancer surgery.
The surgeons first did a CT scan of the patient’s kidney to obtain a 3D model. They then used a Stratasys Objet Connex 3D printer to create the organ replica out of a clear polymer material. This allowed them to see the veins within the kidney model. They could then do a simulated surgery on that model.
During a normal tumor removal surgery, bloodflow to the kidney can be interrupted, on an average of 22 minutes. The ability for the surgeons to practice on a replica of the patient’s kidney, can cut this blood flow interruption down to just 8 minutes, resulting in a much lower risk of complications for the patient.
“The use of this ‘hands-on’ model system gave us a 3D anatomical understanding of the kidney and the tumor,” said lead researcher Dr. Yoshiyuki Shiga. “This enabled the surgeon to work on a smaller area.”
Already Dr. Shiga has 3D printed 10 different 3D kidney models, in order to assist in cancer surgeries. Although the 3d printing of these models tacks an additional $500 to $1500 onto the final cost of surgery, doing so can drastically improve surgery success rates.
This is not the first case in which surgeons have relied on 3D printed models of organs to help guide them in surgery. In fact, just last month we did a story on Dr. Nizar Zein who has been 3D printing polymer liver models at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for some time, as well as other surgeons relying on 3D printed heart models to assist them in cardiac surgeries. Take part in a discussion around the 3D printing of cancerous kidneys at 3dprintboard.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
Profiling a Construction 3D Printing Pioneer: US Army Corps of Engineers’ Megan Kreiger
The world of construction 3D printing is still so new that the true experts can probably be counted on two hands. Among them is Megan Kreiger, Portfolio Manager of Additive...
US Army Corps of Engineers Taps Lincoln Electric & Eaton for Largest 3D Printed US Civil Works Part
The Soo Locks sit on the US-Canadian border, enabling maritime travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, from which ships can reach the rest of the Great Lakes. Crafts carrying...
Construction 3D Printing CEO Reflects on Being Female in Construction
Natalie Wadley, CEO of ChangeMaker3D, could hear the words of her daughter sitting next to her resounding in her head. “Mum, MUM, you’ve won!” Wadley had just won the prestigious...
1Print to Commercialize 3D Printed Coastal Resilience Solutions
1Print, a company that specializes in deploying additive construction (AC) for infrastructure projects, has entered an agreement with the University of Miami (UM) to accelerate commercialization of the SEAHIVE shoreline...