DutchNews.nl,
Wednesday 26 March 2014
 |
| The plastic skull was made with the help of a 3D printer: Photo: UMC Utrecht |
A Dutch
university hospital has successfully given a 22-year-old woman a plastic skull,
made with the help of a 3D printer.
Utrecht
University's UMC says the operation is a world first.
The woman
needed the operation because her skull was becoming thicker, compressing her
brain and damaging its function. Her cranium had become 5cm thick, while a
normal skull is up to around 1.5cm.
Plastic
Her medical
team, led by neurologist Ben Verweij, decided to replace her cranium with a
plastic one, produced by a specialist Australian firm. The operation took 23
hours but was a complete success, the hospital says.
‘Implants
used to be made by hand in the operating theatre using a sort of cement which
was far from ideal,’ Verweij said. ‘Using 3D printing we can make one to the
exact size. This not only has great cosmetic advantages, but patients’ brain
function often recovers better than using the old method.’
The
procedure took place three months ago but the woman has now gone back to work
and is symptom free, Verweij said.
The
hospital says the technique can be used with patients who have other bone
problems or to help recovery after people have suffered serious skull injuries.
Other
hospitals have placed skull implants successfully in patients but this is the
first time a complete cranium has been replaced, the surgeon said.
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