ALICANTE, 22 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A team of surgeons from the University Hospital of Torrevieja (Alicante) has performed “successfully and in a pioneering manner” a laparoscopic esophageal resection for tumor, with the support of three-dimensional (3D) technology.
The incorporation of 3D technology in a personalized way increases the success rate in complex surgeries. In fact, the surgical team led by Andrés Tomás and integrated, among other members, by Yannko González, has successfully performed this operation on an elderly patient with a tumor in the esophagus, as reported by the Generalitat in a statement.
The patient came to the center with difficulty eating, after several months of evolution and 10 percent weight loss. The personalized 3D anatomical model has made decision-making and performing this surgery easier. Specifically, it has helped the surgical team to locate the tumor “more precisely” and “significantly” improve its oncological resection.
“3D technology has been of great help in countless surgical interventions, although to date, its systematic application in the field of esophageal and gastric surgery is yet to be discovered. We are motivated to become one of the leading hospitals in the application of this technology, in a pathology as exciting and complex as esophageal-gastric cancer,” explained Dr. González.
More than 400 scientific publications support the clinical use of 3D modeling technology in personalized cancer surgery planning. These studies highlight the use of individual patient-specific anatomical models to help decrease intraoperative complications in cancer surgery and contribute to increased success in interventions.
Multidisciplinary teams that include engineers, mathematicians, physicists, as well as medical imaging technicians and radiologists work on the development of 3D models. The work process begins when these professionals anonymously receive medical images and radiology reports through an online platform. Using artificial intelligence and advanced computational techniques, they proceed to examine and determine the relevant anatomical structures.
The final 3D model is provided through a specialized platform that facilitates the planning of surgical interventions. In addition, there is the possibility that surgeons request a physical replica of the model, which is made using 3D printing techniques.