Transforming Surgical Precision: The Role of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing in Personalized Medicine

Abstract

The merger of 3D printing and additive manufacturing with surgical practice has almost revolutionized personalized medicine. This review searches how these new technologies allow surgical procedures to be executed with greater precision with patient-specific anatomical models, implants, and bioprinted tissues generated by these technologies. The process of translating medical imaging into physical models allows realizing more accurate preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance, and patient outcomes in disciplines including neurosurgery, orthopedics, and maxillofacial surgery. The combination of AI and point of care manufacturing with 3D printing is also facilitating real-time design and rapid prototyping in hospital environments. That said, clinical adoption is still hindered by expense, regulatory bottlenecks, material and standardization concerns. Emerging applications for bioprinting and smart implants are also forthrightly discussed, hinting at a future where surgical interventions will be tailored but also anticipatory and responsive.