by
Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter | November 06, 2018
From the November 2018 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
“Adult brain imaging is the toughest because we have to deal with the thick human skull,” said Lihong. “Ultrasound waves come out with pretty strong distortion due to the skull, so we are working on all sorts of methods to conquer that problem.”
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CT is climbing off the screen
With sophisticated 3D printing technology, radiologists are now able to see the imaged anatomy in an actual 3D model replica they can hold in their hand.
“For some procedures that would be overkill and wouldn’t be necessary, but for other procedures surgeons find it helpful, particularly in complex cases like congenital heart disease,” said Dr. Gary Danton, vice chair of education and program director of radiology residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
His hospital uses Canon CT systems to generate images of the heart that are used to 3D print the models for surgical planning.
“There are different ways to do it – we do have a surgeon who is doing in-house 3D printing on a case-by-case basis, and there are companies you can send data to and have 3D-printed models made,” Danton explained.
Unfortunately, he added, this technology can be expensive, and since there is currently not an easy way to get reimbursed for this kind of work, it’s something that is done sparingly.
There are many costs associated with making these models, including the cost of the printer, the person running the printer, the materials, as well as the time it takes to design the model. You can’t simply take data from the CT, hit print and have a model pop out – a well-trained person needs to perform a lot of preparation and reconstruction work.
“If the government or payors are going to pay for something, they want to know that it actually adds value and it’s not just fun and exciting,” said Danton. “It actually has to have better outcomes associated with it.”
Better outcomes can come in many different forms. It could mean that the models allow the surgeons to perform the procedure less invasively, they reduce OR time since the surgeons can figure something out before they begin the procedure or they improve the surgeons’ confidence.
