A group of doctors in China successfully transplanted a 3-D printed titanium to a baby girl's skull to save her from hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus is a condition wherein there is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, which causes it to enlarge.
The baby girl, named Han Han but was known in her village as Big Head Baby, was born with the condition. The fluid is absorbed into the blood vessels, rather than getting drained. Han Nan was six months old when she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and her skull had already overgrown to 20cm x 20cm in size. The thinning portions of her skull had ulcers on it while her optic nerve was really squeezed, making her almost blind. She already had difficulty in lifting her head, which weighed almost double her body's weight.
According to doctors this implant was extremely vital as this birth defect could lead to permanent brain damage.
Doctors who did the transplant explained that it will benefit Han Han. Meanwhile, hydrocephalus could lead to brain thinning and stretching which is the culprit behind childhood development problems. Worst, this could cause a person to be bedridden for the rest of his or her life.
The medical team conducted a CT scan on Han Han's head and brain to determine how big her skull had grown because of her condition. They then created a 3D printed three titanium mesh skull implants.
It took the surgeons 17 hours to do the procedure. They first peeled off her scalp away from her skull before layering it with protective saline pads and then drained her head. The titanium implants were placed later on.
Han Han became conscious almost immediately after the procedure. She could now breathe on her own and is expected to make a full recovery. Her skull is also expected to develop over the implants for a new upper skull.
