3D-printed implants 'cutting the cost of surgery in Wales' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

3D-printed implants 'cutting the cost of surgery in Wales'

8 January 2015 Last updated at 20:34 GMT

Welsh design experts are working closely with surgeons at the University Hospital of Wales to produce surgical 3D implants.

Hip implants or models for reconstructive facial surgery are all produced from resin using high intensity lasers.

According to the surgeons, the 3D-printed implants save the NHS both time and money.

With surgery being an expensive undertaking, experts say that pre-designed and prepared implants can be real money savers.

Tomos Dafydd reports.
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video: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-30737272

[exboyfil]

1. Thanks for sharing

I got my M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, but I am not working in that field (at least not directly). I am sure that the issue of implant rejection and implant survivability over time have been addressed, but those would be two areas of potential concern. For survivability applying this technology to a load bearing system like a hip should be carefully tested (repeated cycles at load).

I was also interested in hearing that Cardiff is doing this work. My daughter, a mechanical engineering student, has been looking at Cardiff as a potential overseas experience site to study.