Case Study: SickKids achieves realistic hands-on pediatric heart surgery training with Proto3000's 3D-printed models

SickKids Hospital Trains Surgeons with 3D Printing

SickKids (The Hospital for Sick Children) needed better hands‑on training for rare, complex pediatric heart surgeries, because traditional models and limited case volume made it hard to practice realistic tissue handling. Proto3000, using Stratasys PolyJet 3D printing technology, supplied advanced medical 3D printed heart models that mimic soft tissue and enable rehearsal of challenging clinical scenarios without cadavers or animals.

Proto3000’s PolyJet models provided lifelike anatomy and haptic feedback for no‑risk, high‑fidelity surgical rehearsal, improving trainees’ ability to manage patient‑specific pathology. The models were judged “tremendously helpful” by students, and SickKids clinicians note a direct correlation between increased practice on these models and better outcomes in difficult surgeries.

SickKids

Shi Joon Yoo

Head, pediatric cardiac imaging