A 3D printed model helped plan one skull base tumor surgery
Original title: Use of three-dimensional-printed models for preoperative planning in endoscopic endonasal surgery for tuberculum sellae meningioma: A case report and literature review.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was used with one patient, so we do not know yet if it helps.
The short version
Doctors printed a model of a woman's tumor to help plan her surgery.
What was studied. A 52-year-old woman had a 3.3 cm tumor near the base of her skull. Doctors made a full size 3D printed model of it from her scans.
What they found. The model helped the team plan the path and practice before surgery. Surgeons then removed the whole tumor through the nose. Her sight nerves and small blood vessels were not harmed. A scan six months later showed no tumor left.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Planning tools like this may help surgeons with tumors in tight, risky spots. If you face this kind of surgery, you can ask your team how they plan it.
What it doesn't mean: This is one patient's story, not a study that compares groups. One good result does not prove the model made the difference. It is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. Many hospitals do not have this kind of printing. The authors say more studies are needed to know if it helps and what it costs.
Source: PubMed, August 21, 2026 · Read the original
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