3D printed kidney models allow surgeons to train for life-saving procedure

Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital’s 3D printer has been used to train for the procedure to implant an adult kidney into a toddler, according to The Telegraph

Toddler, Lucy Boucher, suffered a heart failure as a baby and developed supraventricular tachycardia. This in turn caused her kidneys to be starved of oxygen and fail.

Having undergone surgery to address her heart condition, Lucy faced the a lifetime of dialysis treatment due to her kidney failure but that all changed when she was referred to experts at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Telegraph reported.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ 3D printer was used to make models of both Lucy’s abdomen and her father’s kidney so that surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital could see how the adult-sized kidney would fit into the child-sized abdomen.

Based on measurements obtained through CT and MRI scans, the 3D printer produces a model of liquid plastic, moulded under ultraviolet light to replicate the body parts’ size and density, according to the newspaper.

This enables surgeons to assess the feasibility of the transplant and to rehearse each step of the operation with the 3D models.

Lucy’s father Chris, an assistant lay minister said to The Telegraph: “When I first saw the models I was taken aback by the level of detail that’s in them. It really helped me get an idea in my head of what was going to happen.

"My first reaction when I saw the 3D printout of my kidney was surprise at how big it was and I wondered how it could possibly fit into Lucy.

“Seeing the model of her abdomen and the way the kidney was going to be transplanted inside her gave me a clear understanding of exactly what was going to happen. It helped ease my concerns and it was hugely reassuring to know that the surgeons could carry out such detailed planning ahead of the operation.”

Pankaj Chandak, the transplant registrar at Guy’s and St Thomas’ whose idea it was to use 3D printouts, said to The Telegraph: “Our exciting new use of 3D printed models to help plan highly complex kidney transplant surgery in children brings all sorts of important advantages for our patients and the surgical team.

“The most important benefit is to patient safety. The 3D printed models allow informative, hands-on planning, ahead of the surgery with replicas that are the next best thing to the actual organs themselves.

"This means surgeons are better placed than before to prepare for the operation and to assess what surgical approach will offer the greatest chance of a safe and successful transplant.