Tampa General Hospital and University of South Florida are working together on a 3D printing technique that whittles a surgery down to less than a third of its time.
The two entities have been working on 3D printing for research purposes for some time — including making 3D-printed nasal swabs during the Covid-19 pandemic. But the latest tech has advanced enough, experts say, to be a top-tier medical asset.
"Because of this 3D technology, we can take an 11-hour surgery down to a three-hour surgery,’’ said Summer Decker in a statement. She serves as the associate professor and director of 3D Clinical Applications for the Department of Radiology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "So, it makes for safer and more efficient procedures.’’
The 3D printing lets doctors print an exact replica of the heart, allowing them to collaborate and plan for surgery, including reconstruction and aortic valve replacements. It has also been used in trauma surgery, cancer surgery and to make replicas of other organs.
“Having an exact replica of a patient’s real heart — including defects — is an invaluable tool, especially when it can be created in less than a day,” said Jonathan Ford, the technical director for 3D printing, in a statement. “A heart will take about 15 hours to reproduce on the printer, so by the time we come back in the morning, we can hand off the printed heart to the surgeon for reference.”
Beyond the benefit for the surgeon, it allows physicians to put the model directly into patients' hands.
“It gives our patients and doctors a better understanding of the problem and how best to treat it,” said Dr. Krishna Nallamshetty, chief of staff at TGH, in a statement.
The 3D team at TGH has seven 3D printers currently housed at USF Health South Tampa Center on the TGH campus. However, the printers will be moved to the main hospital's radiology department, allowing surgeons better access.
“This is really about the power of collaboration between USF and TGH because the work being done here is truly transformational,’’ said John Couris, president and CEO of TGH, in a statement. “It’s making a huge difference to our physicians and to our patients.’’
