4-year-old Mia Gonzalez had a malformation in her aorta, the vessel that pumps blood from the heart. She would need a surgery to close off that part of the aorta. But Mia’s medical problem was complicated. Her surgeons would have been apprehensive about the surgery were it not for a new technology: the 3-D printer.

The 3-D printer used images from Mia’s heart MRI and CT scan images as a template and laid down layers of rubber or plastic. Then, this printer made exact replicas of Mia’s heart so that her doctors can use such models to plan surgery and practice operations. Mia’s surgeon said,“Without the model, I would have been less certain about the procedure.” He also commented that using the models left no room for doubt, which helped eliminate a major concern that surgeons can face. The model also saved the team and the patient about two hours in the operating room because the surgeon was able to have a clearer plan to conduct surgery.

About 75 hospitals in the United States, and around 200 worldwide, have a printer with such a capability. Doctors are using the simulated organs to prepare for all kinds of complicated and tricky operations, such as surgery to remove a brain tumor or to correct a severe cleft palate. In the past, without such models, doctors might not have operated on some of these patients because the surgeries seemed too tricky, and therefore, risky. With the simulated organs, doctors can ‘try out’ the operations again and again until they find the optimal way to do surgery.

The models are also useful in helping patients and their families feel confident about the operation, as well as in training medical students on specific medical issues or problems. Hopefully in the near future, 3-D printers can produce organs that can be transplanted into patients.