More than meets the eye

Today, 3D printing is being used for everything from jewelry creation to producing food.

But the ways in which Dr. Frank Rybicki and the University of Cincinnati Department of Radiology are using the technology are directly impacting the way patients receive care at UC Health, improving their experiences and overall outcomes.

Rybicki, professor in the department, came to UC this year with a decade of medical 3D-printing experience under his belt.

He was part of the team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both located in Boston, Massachusetts, that used 3D models for the first U.S. full face transplant in 2011.

"I immediately realized that 3D printing was going to be a game changer for radiology and medicine as a whole,” he says.

Using CT, MRI or other forms of medical scans, Rybicki and his team make 3D models of what those scans show, such as tumors or clogged arteries. This then helps physicians make decisions on the best, personalized treatment for the patient as well as explain those plans. These models also help students and residents learn more about anatomy. 

The team recently created their first model at UC used for care: a patient’s artery in the liver with an aneurysm.  

“We bring the patient’s model directly to the patient,” he says. “It is truly groundbreaking to be able to deliver this personalized care — to show the patient their own disease. This includes tumors, problems from birth or, in the case of blood vessels, blockages. Patient advocacy and personalized medicine are at the center of medical 3D printing. Patients, health care providers and medical organizations strongly embrace the ability for a patient to ‘hold in their hand’ their own anatomy. It increases understanding which promotes communication and the quality of care delivered.”