Assistant Professor, Soft Tissue and Oncologic Surgery NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine Raleigh, North Carolina
Computer-aided design and manufacturing, and 3-dimensional (3D) printing have increased workflow efficiency and accuracy in human medicine, and find applications in neurologic, orthopedic, maxillofacial, and oncologic surgery via the production of pre-surgical visualization models, cutting and drilling guides, and custom-made implants. The use of this technology is nascent in veterinary medicine and offers the ability to produce individual custom-made biomedical devices and implants to reconstruct complex anatomic defects and restore function in oncologic surgery. My research focuses on the use of 3D printing and computer-aided design and manufacturing as a novel planning and reconstructive approach to canine maxillofacial oncologic surgery. In this presentation, I will illustrate one of these applications with a case of canine dorsal maxillary osteosarcoma treated with 3D printed custom-made devices. A cutting and drilling guide was used to improve margin accuracy, surgical time, and workflow in association with a 3D printed custom-made implant employed to reconstruct the large maxillary defect created. The presentation will review the design and manufacturing process as well as the surgical procedure, and highlights the benefits and complications experienced with this novel technology.