MINSK, 15 March (BelTA) –A 1:1 3D printed model of a patient's heart was first used during a surgery in Belarus, heart surgeon at the Cardiology scientific and practical center Vladimir Andrushchuk told BelTA.
The heart model used during the surgery was an accurate replica of a human heart. The model was created on the basis of the contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT) data, which means that doctors processed the CT data of the particular patient and then created an individual 3D model.
The 3D printed model helped to plan the surgery and to control its extent. First, doctors operated on the 3D model, and then on the patient's heart, which enabled surgeons to compare the surgery results.
The technology was successfully used during two surgeries, both conducted on men. The first one took place in late January 2017, the second one in February 2017.
