Printing The Future

Can 3D printing save lives?  I say YES!  With the ability to custom build bone structures, skin tissues and even teeth in a pre-operative state, only provides more insight for the surgeons and less operation time with efficiency in place.

This is the future of social innovation and enterprise at its best!  After perusing the article; The Next Frontier For 3-D Printing: Helping The Disabled (Fast Company, May 20, 2013), my interest sparked and I began to wonder is there a way to do this for someone who had severe facial damage, or need for surgical reconstruction.  3D printing helping the disabled is a beautiful concept; the ability to create items to match your own personal needs makes this an exceptional vehicle to move forward in.  Not only does this limit to actual prosthetic limbs but allows the freedom to add to one’s lifestyle.  This kind of freedom in a constrained world enables those who are disadvantaged to have a fair advantage.

I always knew of 3D printing improving lives, existing states of lives, but to save lives?  Emotionally it was understood with the article cited above, lives are being saved and quality of life is improved ten folds, but how can this save lives? 

http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/blog/16484/uaa-rapid-prototype-lab-and-professor-jeff-hoffman-assist-local-surgeon-in-dramatic-face-reconstruction/

Everyone loves a plan, having a full proof plan of what to do next, step by step.  I remember in 1995 when I had my entire face reconstructed after an accident, the surgeons would discuss options, look at old pictures of me and say “we will have you back together in no time” in 1995 the use of lasers was the innovation, but how do you piece back a face that has been so severely damaged without a tangible prototype to work with?  Nevertheless, my doctors completed my surgery, 4 surgeries, 5-7 hours each.  My life was saved, but prolonged periods of time on an operating table leaves room for infections to set in, and takes away from actual surgical time.  This is one of the ways 3D printing can save lives.  Lesser time on the operating table, a solid plan and preparation to ensure multiple surgeries will not be necessary.  It will create efficiency of procedure in the end.  I often wonder, my nose is still half a mm off mark, not too noticeable, but if my doctors at the time would have had the history of my bone structure would my nose still have missed the mark? 

Granted this is a minor afterthought and in the end my life was saved.  But if a 3D printer can reconstruct faces then the possibilities can prove endless!  For acid attack victims it can restore their lost skin tissues, for people who may have lost eyes, ears and noses, this can provide a whole new meaning to their lives and the want to keep moving forward.

These topics had me very excited because I have lived it, and believe that this is the future of social innovation and enterprises at its best!