Improving Craniomaxillofacial Tumor Surgery Using 3D-Printed Surgical Guides

A hospital in England is using 3D-printing technology to create patient-specific cutting guides ahead of operations, reducing surgery times by up to three hours.

The University Hospital Birmingham is using Stratasys Ltd.’s J5 MediJet 3D printer to create the guides, according to the company, which previously would have been made by hand while the patient was on the operating table. The Rehovot, Israel-based polymer 3D-printing company, which launched the J5 MediJet in 2021, says it gives users the ability to create multi-material, full-color prints in a single tray.

The surgical team can now produce cutting guides in a rigid, transparent resin suitable for applications requiring long-term contact (more than 30 days) with intact skin and limited contact (up to 24 hours) with tissue, bone or mucosal membranes, Stratasys says.

“This capability means we can not only accurately predict the surgery before it’s done, but that we have the tools to ensure that the meticulous pre-surgical planning can be executed with the utmost precision,” explains Stefan Edmondson, a consultant clinical scientist at the hospital. “The surgical team is also much better prepared, and the patient is far more at ease, as we can talk through the process and expected outcomes prior to going into the operating theater.”

According to the hospital, one process which demonstrates the capabilities of this technology is in the transplant of a patient’s fibula tissue into target areas within their head or neck, while ensuring the tissue is kept alive.

“In this scenario, if the angles you’re cutting at aren’t absolutely perfect, the bone won’t fit and there will be a higher tendency for the body to reject it, leading to significant discomfort for the patient,” continues Edmondson. “Thankfully, the 3D-printed cutting guides are accurate to micron level, ensuring the fibula is cut to the best possible fit for our patients.”