A 35-year-old man stood to lose 70% of his liver due to a previously inoperable case of primary liver cancer – but he was saved with the help of a 3-D printer.
A Mr. Wu in Guangdong Province, China, had been suffering what he’d been told was gastroenteritis, severe stomach pain and diarrhea, for over 4 years. By the time the correct diagnosis was made, doctors said his liver cancer prognosis was “very grim.”
Wu had a very large 10.6 cm x 11.7 cm x 12.4 cm cancerous tumor that connected to the right hepatic portal vein and its smaller venous branches, the area where blood is moved from the gastrointestinal tract and the spleen to the liver. The tumor also wrapped around his celiac artery.
With 2-D CT scans and radiology equipment, doctors could not see where the tumor entangled with these vital veins. Wu stood to lose 70% of his liver, likely causing liver failure and death. Two years ago, Wu’s case would have been deemed “inoperable.”
Doctors created a 3-D model of Wu’s liver, veins and tumor with a 3-D printer, which allowed them to prepare better for surgery and save the majority of Wu’s organ. Instead of losing 70% of his liver, surgeons removed just 42.8%, the amount necessary to remove the tumor, and Wu was able to recover faster with less blood loss.
“For 3D printing technology in medical applications, the prospects are good,” said lead surgeon, Fang Chi Jieshao. “3D printing model can also be applied to preoperative discussions, preparation, and to training for young doctors. It also helps patients and their families more easily understand their disease.”
An average of 21 people die each day waiting for vital organs. For them, 3-D printed organs like livers, hearts, and kidneys would be literally lifesaving.