Three-dimensional (3D) printers are slowly but surely finding their application in all spheres of life, including the most humane sphere of them all – medicine.
Yesterday, at the University Clinical Hospital of Mostar was performed the first surgery using implant printing technology, which is the first of its kind performed in BiH. Thanks to the expert team at the Clinic for Surgery and the Clinical Institute of Radiology of UCH Mostar, which was formed in cooperation with the experts from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture from the University of Zagreb that has the possibility of the most contemporary 3D printing at their disposal, an implant was successfully placed to the 55-year-old citizen of Mostar, who had formerly removed bone on his skull.
“This is an example of individualized medicine, the medicine of future, such is the 3D printing technology itself. Of course that every patient requires its own approach and respect to its own characteristics, including the anatomy, anthropology, psychology, and many others,” said Prof. Dr. Bruno Splavski.
The surgery is not demanding in a technical sense, but the process of applying 3D printing is something that makes it different since it is a method that was performer for the very first time in BiH. This method allows surgery on the principle of the most current surgeries at the world level.
According to the head of the Clinic for Surgery at the UCH Mostar, Dr. Zrinko Brekalo, the complete procedure like this costs about 20,000 HRK in Croatia, and this surgery is a gift from Croatia.
The University Clinical Hospital of Mostar can become a regional center for application of 3D printing technology in the field of head and neck surgery if this cooperation is successfully continued.
(Source: faktor.ba)
