Practicing complex surgical procedures on cadavers can be expensive. In an article in Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, researchers outlined an improved method of practice for surgeons by combining 3D printing with special effects.

The simulation mimicks the head and brain of a pediatric patient with hydrocephalus.

A team of neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and simulation engineers developed the realistic model of a pediatric patient's hydrocephalus by combining 3D printing and special effects. With the tangibility of 3D printing and the highly realistic features of special effects, the model was tested for its accuracy and effectiveness in training surgeons for an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) procedure to treat hydrocephaly.

The 3D model enhanced with special effects was a replication of a brain with hydrocephalus that included external and internal anatomy with the pulsations of the basilar artery, ventricles and cerebrospinal fluid to replicate actual experiences of performing an ETV. The model had a “plug-and-play” feature that allowed for repeat practice.

“A plug-and-play lifelike ETV training model was developed through a combination of 3D printing and special effects techniques, providing both anatomical and haptic accuracy,” concluded Peter Weinstock, MD, PhD, first author on the study. “Such simulators offer opportunities to accelerate the development of expertise with respect to new and novel procedures as well as iterate new surgical approaches and innovations, thus allowing novice neurosurgeons to gain valuable experience in surgical techniques without exposing patients to risk of harm.”