Doctors first transplanted skull, printed on 3D-printer

Han Han, a three-year Chinese woman, became the first patient to receive a new skull created using 3D printing technology.

According to doctors, without the operation the child would not have survived until the fall. Since birth, the girl suffered from hydrocephalus, a rather rare disease that disrupts the flow of fluid from the brain. Due to the accumulation of fluid, pressure on the brain increases and the skull increases in size.

In the case of Han Han, the skull is four times larger than normal. On a huge head accounted for more than half the body weight of the child, so the baby was bedridden.

Using the technology of three-dimensional scanning and printing, doctors managed to model three titanium mesh implants, which were intended to replace the bones of the cranial vault.

During the 17-hour operation, surgeons completely removed the bones of the Han Han skull, then slowly pumped the excess fluid through the drainage tubes. Then, in place of the removed bones, the doctors put titanium implants.

The operation was successful: the girl opened her eyes and breathed on her own even before she was transferred to the intensive care unit. As they grow up and grow, the titanium plates will be covered with their own bone tissue, strengthening the upper part of the Han Han skull. Doctors are hoping for a full recovery and rehabilitation of the girl.