Abstract
The use of three-dimensional (3D) printing is gaining considerable success in many
medical fields, including surgery; however, the spread of this innovation in cardiac
and vascular surgery is still limited. This article reports our pilot experience with
this technology, applied as an additional tool for 20 patients treated for complex
vascular or cardiac surgical diseases. We have analyzed the feasibility of a “3D printing
and aortic diseases project,” which helps to obtain a more complete approach to these
conditions. 3D models have been used as a resource to improve preoperative planning
and simulation, both for open and endovascular procedures; furthermore, real 3D aortic
models were used to develop doctor–patients communication, allowing better knowledge
and awareness of their disease and of the planned surgical procedure. A 3D printing
project seems feasible and applicable as an adjunctive tool in the diagnostic–therapeutic
path of complex aortic diseases, with the need for future studies to verify the results.
Keywords
3D Printing - 3D-printed models - aortic diseases - surgical training - preoperative
planning
