A game-changer to help plan surgeries in advance

Another doctor, Dr. Jason Terk of Cook Children’s Hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas, said 3D printing recently helped doctors help a baby born with “highly complex cardiac anatomy.” “The first step in something like that is to get a 3D rendering of the heart using other imaging technology,” he explained. “You can then plug that data into a 3D printer to render that in a physical format, which allows a cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon understand better and plan ahead to what approach can be done to repair the heart and provide a procedure that will improve function and lifespan.” “This technology allows you to see (the organ), turn it around and allows a much more tangible ability to see what the problems are and how best to approach them,” he added. “Also, the upside and the value added is much greater than the downside cost of 3D printing.”