3D-Printed Surgical Guides: Manual Cleaning and Comparison of Two Drying Processes

Surgical molds and guides used during intraoperative procedures require a rigorous cleaning process to ensure patient safety; however, this step is rarely discussed in the literature, emphasizing the need for standardization. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning process and the structural conformity of three-dimensional (3D)-printed surgical molds and guides using protein testing. This was a quasi-experimental study conducted in a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, in which 10 3D-printed models underwent manual cleaning, with efficacy verified through protein testing, followed by manual and automated drying methods. Structural conformity was then analyzed, resulting in a total of 30 measurements. The results showed no structural modifications in any of the 3D-printed models, and all tests confirmed effective cleaning. Both the cleaning and drying processes applied proved to be effective for all surgical molds and guides evaluated.