Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2025
Multicolor 3D Printing of Complex Intracranial Tumors in Neurosurgery
Published on: January 11, 2020
3D-Printed Head Model in Patient's Education for Micro-Neurosurgical Aneurysm Clipping Procedures
Fredrick J Joseph1, Hanne E R Vanluchene1, Johannes Goldberg2
1Image Guided Therapy, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Background:
Computed tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 3D reconstruction from Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) are currently used in clinical consultations for patients diagnosed with intracranial aneurysms; however, they have limitations in helping patients understand the disease and possible treatments. This study investigates the use of a 3D-printed model of the patients' neurosurgical anatomy and vascular pathology as an educational tool in outpatient clinics.
Methods:
A 3D-printed model of a middle cerebral artery aneurysm was created for use during patient consultations to discuss microsurgical treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. In total, 38 patients and 5 neurosurgeons were included in the study. After the consultation, the patients and neurosurgeons received a questionnaire to assess the effectiveness of the 3D-printed model as an educational tool.
Results:
The 3D model improved the patients' understanding of the diagnosis, the aneurysm's relationship to the parent artery; the treatment process as well as the risks if left untreated. The patients found the 3D model to be an interesting tool (97%). The neurosurgeons were satisfied with the 3D-printed model as a patient encounter tool, they found the model effective during consultation (87%) and better than the conventional education tools used during consultations (97%).
Conclusions:
Using a 3D model improves communication, enhances the patient's understanding of the pathology and its treatment and potentially facilitates the informed consent process in patients undergoing intracranial aneurysm surgery.
