3D-Printed Surgical Guide in Nasal Bone Osteotomy.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Crooked nose correction (rhinoplasty) requires high surgical precision.
• Existing methods for nasal osteotomy can have variable accuracy.
• 3D printing offers potential for creating patient-specific surgical tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of a novel 3D-printed surgical guide for nasal osteotomy.
• To assess patient-reported outcomes following crooked nose correction using the 3D-printed guide.

Main Methods:

• A customized 3D-printed surgical guide was designed and utilized for nasal osteotomy in ten patients.
• Surgical accuracy was quantified by measuring the deviation of the osteotomy from the planned path.
• Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the Rhinoplasty Health Inventory and Nasal Outcomes (RHINO) questionnaire.

Main Results:

• The 3D-printed surgical guides enabled highly accurate osteotomies, with a mean deviation of only 0.48 mm from the planned surgical path.
• Patients reported significant improvements in outcomes as measured by the RHINO questionnaire.
• The study demonstrated successful application in a small cohort, indicating feasibility.

Conclusions:

• Customized 3D-printed surgical guides represent a promising advancement for improving precision in crooked nose correction.
• This technology has the potential to enhance surgical predictability, minimize complications, and ensure consistent results.
• The findings suggest that 3D-printed guides could be particularly beneficial for surgeons with less experience.