3D printed heart helps save girl’s life
posted 31 January 2015 at 17:40:56
Here’s another example of how 3D printing ‘practice organs’
is set to become an important surgical tool. A two-year old girl, born with a
serious heart condition, is alive and kicking thanks to a 3D printer – and, of
course, a skilled medical team. Little Mina Khan was born with a hole between
two chambers of her heart, which meant she was struggling to stay alive. A
pioneering team led by Dr Gerald Greil (pictured) at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital made an
exact 3D printed copy of her heart. By practising on the model, surgeons had a
much better idea of what to do when they carried out the operation. They were
also able to make a bespoke Gore-Tex patch to stitch into her heart. Mina is
now fully recovered from the surgery and able to live a normal life.
Picture: The Sunday Times / News Syndication