Case Study: Nicklaus Children's Hospital achieves life-saving surgical planning with Stratasys 3D printing

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital utilizes 3D printing and other technologies to save a young patient’s life

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Cardiovascular Surgery Advanced Projects Laboratory faced a high-stakes challenge: planning surgery for an 8-year-old with an osteogenic sarcoma tucked beneath the brain and under the eye—an area rarely operated on without risking major disfigurement. The team relied on digital 3D technologies, including Stratasys 3D printers (J5 MediJet), to visualize the complex anatomy and develop a strategy that balanced complete tumor removal with preservation of appearance.

The team used Synopsys Simpleware to segment the patient’s imaging, printed a patient-specific diagnostic skull model on a Stratasys J5 MediJet, and supplemented planning with AR via DICOM Director on Microsoft HoloLens 2. With Stratasys’ technology and support, surgeons successfully removed the tumor largely through the mouth, avoided a disfiguring scar, improved preoperative visualization and family communication, and achieved a life‑saving outcome.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

John Ragheb

Director of the Department of Surgery