Vets use 3D printing to remove tumour from dog’s skull
A team of vets has successfully removed a tumour from a dog’s skull using 3D printing, veterinary group AniCura announced on Thursday. The animal’s skull was modelled and printed in preparation for the operation to replace the diseased bone with a titanium plate.
Indy, a 10-year-old shih tzu, had been sent to the clinic in Herkenrode, Limburg, which diagnosed multilobular osteochondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, above its left eye. “This serious disease required rapid treatment to give Indy a chance of survival,” orthopaedic vet Tom Volkaert said.
The dog’s skull was modelled on a scanner and 3D printed, which “enabled better pre-operative planning and was also a great help during the operation”, according to the clinic.
"This ground-breaking operation would have been unthinkable just a few years ago"
The team of three surgeons were able to determine precisely the part of the bone to be removed and reconstruct the skull using a titanium plate. The dog’s eye was replaced and attached to the implant with its muscles.
The animal has recovered well, says AniCura. Its eye, which had been partially pushed out of the socket by the growth of the tumour, has healed completely and the dog can see well again.
“This ground-breaking operation would have been unthinkable just a few years ago and demonstrates the progress and potential of innovative technologies such as CT scanning and 3D printing in veterinary care,” the group said.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © IMAGEBROKER
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