Utah Woman Beats Kidney Cancer Thanks to Progressive Doctors & 3D Printing.

The advent of the 3D printed medical model, many patients and their families now are afforded a look at exactly what’s going on, thanks to completely patient-specific models made from MRI or CT data. In Linda Green’s case, not only did the 3D printed model show her the stubborn tumor lodged inside her kidney, but it may be the reason she is alive today, with the tumor that was sneakily tucked underneath her ribs now a thing of the past The 3D model is not of course just a wonderful educational tool for a patient like Green but it can serve as an invaluable guide for surgeons like Dr. Jay Bishoff. This technology and these incredibly customized visual aids previously not available to doctors, treatments can be decided on with more facts and information in front of them, literally, and procedures that have not been tried before are now possible. Not only that, doctors can train on these aids as well, a new quotient in the treatment process which doesn’t leave surgeons or medical students having to be resourceful for training devices, or spending any more time than possible practicing on cadavers. “We could not appreciate the peak of the tumor that was growing up into the drainage system of the kidney until we did the 3D reconstruction and 3D printing,” Dr. Bishoff said. For Green’s impending treatment and surgery at Intermountain Medical Center, Dr. Bishoff had a clear model made of the kidney and tumor. This allows for surgeons to have a comprehensive view and to avoid the major mistake of removing something vital during the surgery. With the intricate and transparent model, however, Dr. Bishoff was able to remove the tumor without issue, leaving all vital parts intact. He used multiple 3D prints as guides to navigate through the operation, something numerous surgeons are doing today if they have access to the extremely helpful technology. “I could’ve ended up with infection across my outer body or bleeding out,” Green said, definitely understanding the gravity of the procedure. “When the surgery was over and he came out to talk to me, I really thought he was going to tell me that he had to take the kidney out,” Green’s husband said. In a wonderful success story, Green is happy back at her home in Utah, cancer free, and her kidney is completely intact and functioning. The doctors have said that she won’t suffer any damage to the kidney or run the risk of failure. Contributed by 3D print