China News Online, July 2nd (Chen Jing and Qin Yan) The use of 3D printing technology to integrate the stent material to make realistic ears. Doctors complete ear reconstruction and hearing reconstruction for patients with ear defects at one time.

This is not the plot of a science fiction story.

  The reporter learned on the 2nd that experts from the Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine have implemented an upgraded version of the 3D custom ear bracket implantation for patients to achieve full auricle reconstruction, and at the same time carry out bone-conduction hearing device bone bridge implantation.

The 9-year-old child's ear reconstruction and hearing reconstruction rehabilitation were completed at one time, and he did not need a second operation.

  It is reported that in the past, patients with such ear defects had to bear high costs to go abroad to get similar treatments.

Chinese domestic medical experts continue to research and break through bottlenecks, develop new technologies, and patients can benefit from internationally leading treatment programs without going abroad.

  In recent years, thanks to the national regulatory innovation policy for customized medical devices, and after sufficient preliminary research and design, the 3D customized ear reconstruction stent product of the team of Professor Wu Hao and Professor Shi Runjie of the Shanghai Ninth Hospital has obtained the registration certificate of the National Medical Products Administration (Shanghai city).

Shanghai experts solved ear reconstruction and hearing reconstruction with one operation.

Photo courtesy of Shanghai Ninth Hospital

  It is reported that 9-year-old Lele (a pseudonym) was diagnosed with congenital microtia on the right side at birth, degree III.

The traditional treatment method is to take the costal cartilage staged operation to improve the appearance and hearing function of the ear step by step.

The operation takes 2-4 times to complete.

The child’s family hopes to reduce the child’s suffering.

  The team of Professor Wu Hao and Professor Shi Runjie of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, fully consulted the cases and formulated an integrated surgical treatment plan to simultaneously solve the problems of auricle reconstruction and hearing function .

They innovatively use 3D printing integrated forming stent materials to complete the operation, which has not been reported before in China or even in Asia.

  During the interview, the reporter learned that a realistic shape of the auricle not only needs to be close to the thinness and cleverness of a normal ear, but also needs to have a realistic three-dimensional effect.

At present, the clinically used porous high-density polyethylene stent is divided into two parts: the base of the ear and the helix. During the operation, it needs to be trimmed and spliced ​​according to the shape of the child's healthy side ear.

This not only prolongs the operation time, the process of integrating the ear base and helix during the operation will also cause the material at the joint to be heated and denatured, leading to changes in the chemical structure, and the risk of stent fracture after the operation.

  Chief Physician Shi Runjie introduced to reporters that, unlike the traditional full auricle reconstruction, the 3D printing personalized custom integrated forming stent material used in Leleshu has achieved new technological breakthroughs.

  It is understood that by taking pictures of the child's contralateral ear before surgery, doctors use 3D printing technology to carry out fine and personalized custom designs based on the healthy ear to make the appearance of the reconstructed ear more accurate.

Shi Runjie said that this can further improve the shortcomings of reconstructed ear bloated and not realistic shape; at the same time, it eliminates the trouble of trimming and shaping during the operation by the surgeon, shortens the operation time and reduces the risk of anesthesia.

At the same time, the ability of the stent to withstand external forces has also greatly increased, and the risk of postoperative fracture is significantly reduced.

For patients, using the upgraded version of the customized 3D ear reconstruction stent recovers faster and has better results.

  Professor Wu Hao, the head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and Dean of the Ninth Hospital, said that according to the latest epidemiological data, about 5.18/10,000 newborns in China each year have different degrees of congenital microtia.

Such children are often accompanied by stenosis of the external auditory canal, atresia, and dysplasia of the middle ear, which not only bring appearance defects to the children, but also accompanied by hearing impairment and more or less psychological obstacles.

  He pointed out that the application of new technology will benefit children with congenital microtia in China and even in Asia.

For patients with hearing impairment, doctors can also perform hearing reconstruction at the same time, including the development of implantable artificial hearing device technology, which can make up for the patient's appearance defects while improving the patient's auditory function, bringing hope to many families.

  According to reports, in the future, the team will summarize the practical experience in Shanghai, promote this technology across Asia, and strive to build a first-class ear disease medical center in Asia.

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