3D printing has tremendous benefits in society. Recently, doctors from Brazil used 3D printing to treat patients suffering from disorders that are thought to be inoperable. One of the disorders that are inoperable is the Kleeblattschadel syndrome which is also called the Cloverleaf skull syndrome. It is a neuro-craniofacial disorder characterized by the abnormal soldering of the skull bones. As a consequence, patients suffering from this condition have extremely poor physical and mental health.

Doctors from the Beneficencia Portuguesa Hospital in Sao Paulo Brazil led by Dr. Jorge Vicente Lopes da Silva developed the a way to treat babies born with this condition. Dr. da Silva used 3D printing to create a replica of the patient’s skull.

With the 3D replica of the skull, the doctors were able to identify the exact condition of the patient’s skull thus surgery was undergone with fewer associated risks for the patient. To create the 3D replica, the doctors used the CT and MRI scans of the patient and ran it on the InVesalius software to create the exact replica of the skull.

The use of 3D printing resulted to the success of the operation with minimal risks to the infant patient. Currently, the child is recovering and showing signs of improvement in both the psychological and neurological development. 3D printing makes it possible for doctors to treat disorders that are considered inoperable. This technology provides a lot of promising innovation to patients who are suffering from rare diseases.