3D printed tumour model aids little girl's cancer surgery

UK-based medical technology company, 3D LifePrints, has designed and produced a 3D printed tumour, which aided surgeons in the removal of a cancerous mass from a six-year-old girl in Liverpool. 

Leah Bennett was admitted to Liverpool's Alder Hey hospital following back pains. Tests and scans led to the the discovery of a large unknown tumour at the base of her spine. 3D printing techniques were used to establish the optimal approach to extracting 90% of the malignancy.

Paul Fotheringham, Founder of 3D LifePrints stated: “We are immensely proud to have been able to positively contribute to Leah’s battle with cancer. The biomedical engineers in our embedded 3D printing hub were able to prepare a detailed 3D model for this timely case over the weekend to help the surgical team at Alder Hey plan Leah’s ‘impossible’ surgery. This case perfectly illustrates the value of combining innovation and technology at the point of care.”

Leah's tumour was located in a tricky place - near a number of important anatomical regions including the spinal cord and superior mesenteric artery. It was also observed to be enveloping large portions of vessels such as the aorta and inferior vena cava.

A number of medical institutions advised against operating sue to the risk of life-threatening blood loss. The nine rounds of chemotherapy given to Leah were seen to be unsuccessful. The medical team sought out their in-house Innovation Hub, led by Iain Hennessey, a Surgeon and Clinical Director of Innovation and 3D LifePrints, which has been embedded within Alder Hey for around five years.

A 3D printed model of the tumour and its surrounding areas was created for presurgical planning, increasing the chances of safely removing the cancerous cells. The biomedical engineers at 3D LifePrints used CT scan data to detail Leah's anatomy and the tumour, as well as fabricating a model using additive manufacturing technology from Stratasys.

David Collins, Biomedical Engineer, 3D LifePrints, added, “Working closely with the surgeons, we completely understood how urgent this case was and how imperative accuracy would be, given the odds. Their faith in us came from our longstanding relationships in the hospital and over the course of a weekend we were able to ready the model for delivery for the multidisciplinary team meeting in which the go-ahead for surgery would be made.”

Seven weeks of radiotherapy later and Leah is making a steady recovery. Donations are presently being raised for the multiple charities that supported her treatments. Click here to find out more.

Back to Homepage

Back to Healthcare