The Effectiveness of Using 3D Printed Anatomically Accurate Models to Educate Patients About Surgery: A Survey

Within the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) medical space, a relatively small number of patients follow through with elective surgeries to fix ailments like a deviated septum or occluded sinus passage. Patient understanding of their diagnosis and treatment plan is integral to compliance, which ultimately yields improved medical outcomes and better quality of life. Here the investigators report the usage of advanced inkjet 3D printing methods to develop a multimaterial replica of the patient's nasal sinus anatomy, derived from clinical X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. The final patient education model was developed over several iterations to optimize material properties, anatomical accuracy and overall display. A two arm, single center, randomized, prospective study was then performed in which 50 ENT surgical candidates (and an associated control group, n = 50) were given an explanation of their anatomy, disease state, and treatment options using the education model as an aid. Each patient was then surveyed for their self-rated understanding of their anatomy, disease, and treatment options.