Technology saved the life of a Chinese toddler, after doctors used 3D printed titanium implants to reshape her skull after a rare birth defect left her head triple its normal size.
3D printed titanium implants ‘Made in China’
Doctors worked on 3-year-old Han Han at the People’s Hospital of Hunan Province, China, according to news reports. The girl underwent surgery to treat congenital hydrocephalus, a condition that causes a buildup of excess fluid in the brain at birth. Without the operation to properly drain fluid, the extra liquid can increase pressure in the baby’s brain, consequently causing brain damage as well as mental and physical problems.
This condition is rare. Some reports estimate that one to two of every 1,000 babies are born with hydrocephalus. The term hydrocephalus is derived from the Greek words “hydro” meaning water and “cephalus” meaning head.
Toddler currently recovering
According to Xinhua, China’s Official News Agency, the toddler is currently recovering from the “skull-shrinking” surgery. The procedure took hours. Han Han has become the first person in the world to have her cranium successfully reconstructed with the help of 3D printed titanium implants, Xinhua reported.
3D printing technology has come a long way. Doctors used 3D printers to create a model of the girl’s skull, which was then used as a basis to design a titanium mesh to replace Han Han’s cerebral cranium.
World’s first 3D printed titanium implants for cranium reconstruction
The 3D printed titanium implants were used as experts believe that finding the condition of congenital hydrocephalus early and treating it quickly can help limit any long-term problems. But long-term effects vary, depending on what caused the fluid buildup, how bad it gets, and how the baby responds to treatment.
“Some of these kids are bedridden because they can’t move,” their head, said Lakin. “This [operation] gives the kid a more normal life to go out and play,” Dr. Gregory Lakin, Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland told ABC.
Lakin, who did not treat Han Han, said that most physicians in the United States deal with cases of hydrocephalus by removing part of the skull, draining the fluid and re-implant the skull bone.
Although the operation takes longer, it decreases the risk of infection and the patient will be less likely to reject the material. He added that 3-D implants can be used before the skull fully develops, namely at the age of 3.
What do you think of the 3D printed titanium implants? Have you ever heard of 3-D printing technology saving someone’s life?
