A BRAND NEW SKULL

Watch neurosurgeons successfully implant a 3D printed skull

How about saving a life with a 3D printer? A team of Dutch brain surgeons did it just a few days ago!

The 22-year-old patient suffered from a rare condition that caused her skull to thicken, increasing the pressure on her brain. Her skull was over three times the normal thickness – around 5 centimeters thick!.

The surgeons cut it off and replaced it with a perfect copy of her skull in 23 straight hours. Hat’s off to the surgeons!

“Implants used to be made by hand in the operating theatre using a sort of cement which was far from ideal,” explained Ben Verweij, who led the operation. “Using 3D printing we can make one to the exact size. This not only has great cosmetic advantages, but patients’ brain function often recovers better than using the old method.”

If you’ve got a strong stomach, you can also watch a shortened version of the surgery right below.