Case Study: 3D4Med improves surgical training and pre-surgical planning with Stratasys 3D printing

Advantages of 3D Printing Italy’s 3D4Med Lab Investigates Benefits for Medical Education and Pre-Surgical Planning

3D4Med is an Italy-based clinical 3D printing laboratory (a joint venture with the University of Pavia) that set out to improve medical education and pre-surgical planning—particularly for pediatric surgery, where tiny anatomical spaces and low case volumes make hands-on training difficult. To address the need for patient-specific, tactile models, 3D4Med partnered with Stratasys, using Stratasys 3D printers for medical applications including the Digital Anatomy Printer and materials like GelMatrix, TissueMatrix and BoneMatrix.

Stratasys supplied realistic, case-specific 3D printed models that reproduce both morphology and mechanical properties, enabling surgeons to rehearse procedures, train technical skills, and refine plans before operating. The collaboration with Stratasys produced measurably better realism and force feedback, allowed clinicians to repeat rare procedures many times to speed the learning curve, and supported broader uses such as informed consent and device development.

3D4Med

Andrea Pietrabissa

Professor