Strategic Category: CLINICAL • BACK TO STRATEGIC CATEGORIES •
The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC) has a commitment to patient centered care. To ensure our patients have the best care, UT is utilizing 3D print for the betterment of our patients with our primary focus on printing patient-specific models prior to surgical intervention, with the hope that we can improve both patient education and surgical outcomes.For patient education, patient-matched or patient-specific models, are created from an imaging data such as CT or MRI. Patient matched 3D models are a true accurate representation of specific anatomy and can aid in the understanding of complexity and provide additional options for surgical intervention. 3D printing allows us to offer the highest quality of patient education and allows a more engaging experience between our clinical staff and patient.
3D printed models provide the opportunity for greater and more effective planning for the surgeons. 3D prints of a patient specific anatomy can help expedite the surgical procedure, meaning less time for the patient to be in the OR under anesthesia. Surgeons are able to predict anatomical variation and potential complications having already held the patient's specific 3D printed anatomy at actual size and dimension prior to making an incision on the actual patient.
UT is also developing surgical simulators that allow physicians to practice complicated procedures on patient specific 3D printed models prior to surgery.