A Preliminary Study On The Application Of 3D Printing In Neurosurgery

3D printing is a technique of constructing an object by layer-by-layer printing using a bondable material such as powdered metal or plastic based on a digital model file.It has been gradually applied to all walks of life since its rapid rise in the 1990 s.Of course,in the medical field is no exception.In recent years,the application of 3D printing in the medical field has promoted medical development in a certain sense.The changes brought about by 3D printing technology may change the face of the entire medical industry,and there are many applications in the future.This paper mainly explores the application of 3D printing in neurosurgery.Objective: To explore the value of 3D printing model in clinical practice of skull base surgery and in simulated surgery.Methods: Select cases of complex skull base surgery,print the model,simulate the surgical approach before surgery,open the bone window and fully remove the bone,fully expose the operation area,compare the intraoperative model with the patient,and record the same anatomical part of the model and source data respectively.Error,statistical printing cost,print duration,length of surgery,and hospital stay,etc.,and measure the minimum accuracy that 3D printing can print.Postoperative follow-up results were recorded and the Likert questionnaire was used to assess model availability and to summarize lessons learned.RESULTS: The largest size case entity 3D print model we were able to create was: 295 x 211 x 142 mm,XYZ resolution was 800x900x790 DPI,and the build layer thickness was 32 microns,which means print accuracy was 0.032 mm.The fidelity of the five models is 99.35% ± 0.14%.The model production cost was $358.50±219.25,the printing time was 17.31±9.91 h,the patient operation time was 9.58±3.92 h,and the hospitalization day was 46.19±22.64 d.Five patients had satisfactory surgical results.We conducted detailed evaluation and comprehensive analysis of 5 cases in turn,and summarized experience and deficiencies.Conclusion: We did print real replicas that correspond to complex skull base surgical diseases.Through 3D printing technology,it can clearly display important anatomical structures such as tumors,adjacent blood vessels,nerves,skulls,etc.,and more effectively plan the surgical approach.It improves the accuracy of surgery for complex surgery of the skull base,improves safety and speeds up the operation;It is conducive to doctor-patient communication and rapid improvement of the basic theory of residents.This technology has great application prospects in skull base surgery.