3D Printed Trachea

In an unprecedented example of how 3D printing is likely to transform medicine, an infant was recently saved by a bioplastic windpipe that was constructed using a 3D printer.

Kaiba was born with tracheobronchomalacia, a condition in which the airway walls are weak and prone to collapse. Using high resolution images of his trachea and bronchus, computer-aided design (CAD) software and a 3D laser printer, doctors were able to create a personalized splint that was surgically sewn around his airway. Within three weeks, Kaiba was taken off ventilator support. The splint will provide a scaffold to help Kaiba’s windpipe grow properly. In about three years it will be reabsorbed into his body, leaving his own stronger, healthier airway that will continue to grow with him.

Tracheobronchomalacia affects about 1 in 2,200 babies to varying degrees. Although most outgrow the condition by the age of 2 or 3, severe cases, such as Kaiba’s, can be life-threatening.

This is a good example of how 3D printing is enabling the personalization of medical implants.