It was just a few months ago that Mr. Zhou, a 38-year-old man, was living a very normal life in Ethiopia. One day this past May though, Zhou went to work expecting a normal work day, when the unthinkable happened. He was surprisingly shot twice, once in his right leg, and then while he laid on the ground another bullet was fired at his face.
Taking CT and X-ray data, Longgang Gong, the ENT specialist at Xi’an Red Cross Hospital, created a 3D printed model of Zhou’s disheveled mandible in order to get a more realistic view of the defects that needed correcting. Using this model, surgeons were able to 3D print a titanium mandible implant in the exact shape needed to fully restore Zhou’s mandibular function and appearance.
This is just another shining example of how 3D printing can be used in multiple ways for reconstructive surgery of various types. In Zhou’s case, the technology not only allowed for more precision based on a 3D printed medical model, but it also allowed for a very precisely fitted implant to be created–an implant which should help Zhou not only feel normal again, but also function and look normal as well.
What do you think about this latest surgery in China? Discuss in the 3D printed titanium mandible forum thread on 3DPB.com.