3D Printer Helps Man Save Wife's Eyesight

3D Printing comes through again.

A California man used a 3D printer to help doctors identify the nature of his wife's brain tumor, and helped lead the doctors to an unconventional and successful surgery.

Make Magazine reports that when Michael Balzer, a 3D printing aficionado, learned of his wife's diagnosis, he was determined to be as proactive as possible. Using his skills with 3D printing, Balzer created a computer model of his wife's skull and the tumor using her initial MRI scans.

Later on, after another trip the doctor and further MRI scans, it was found that her tumor was actually growing -- a disheartening diagnosis. Balzer, however, continued creating his models, and after cross-examining the new MRI scans with the old, he found that the doctor had made a mistake while measuring. The tumor was not actually growing.

Hoping to avoid the standard surgery for brain tumors of this kind, which is incredibly invasive, the couple decided to print a physical model of her skull and find a surgeon willing to do a more unconventional surgery. They eventually found a willing surgeon, who, with the help of the model, was able to successfully operate using a less invasive procedure.

The surgeon told the couple after the surgery that had they waited another several months for surgery as doctors had initially advised, the tumor could have progressed to a point where she may have lost her eyesight.

Source : IGN