Role of 3D Printing in Surgery

3D printing refers to the set of technologies through which it is possible to transform a digital model into a real object. The creation is accomplished by setting down progressive layers of a particular material until the whole item is made. Virtual surgical planning using 3D printing represents one of the greatest technological achievements of the last decades. Medical institutions are setting up laboratories equipped with cutting-edge technological tools and creating virtual models of the patient body parts using dedicated software. Virtual 3D processing takes place using printers which, with filaments and resins, allow the creation of models to assist in the planning of surgical interventions and shorten their execution times. The ability to view the final result of an intervention in 3D format rather than with 2D images facilitates the dialogue between surgeon and patient, giving the latter the possibility of an informed decision. The future of 3D printing is “bioprinting” which represents a great opportunity for biomedical research and for regenerative medicine in particular. The repair and regeneration of tissues or entire organs resulting from congenital defects like microtia or rare facial clefts or acquired diseases like defects left after ablative cancer surgery of the jaws can make use of 3D printing of biological material that allows the generation of living cell layers with the aim of repairing tissues or generating entire organs.