When the tiny anatomy of a small child is involved, heart surgery is extremely difficult procedure. When 14-month-old Roland Lian Cung Bawi’s heart was failing, surgeon Erle Austin knew that he had to prepare meticulously for an intricate operation, and turned to 3-D printing for help.
Austin and his team produced a 3-D model of little Roland’s heart, allowing them to come up with a precise plan to limit the amount of exploratory incisions, reduce operating time and prevent the need for follow-up operations.