Hospitals in Dubai will begin 3D printing organs before surgery beginning in 2017, with the goal of improving the accuracy of all kinds of surgeries, according to a report in Gulf News.
Soon all Dubai Health Authority hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be able to print artificial limbs, denture molds, fracture casts, and organ models to simulate surgery before the actual procedure, Gulf News said.
Based on the 3D printing strategy outlined by Dubai's leader and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the new initiative is expected to speed medical procedures, save costs, and help doctors plan complicated surgeries, according to the article.
"Also, 3D printing will help in providing accuracy in medical education," Dr. Mohammad Al Redha from the Dubai Health Authority told Gulf News. "We will be printing all models of organs using a basic CT scan of a patient to help doctors simulate a surgery and visualize all eventualities."
New uses continue to be discovered for 3D printing as the health authority expands and revamps its 3D strategy, the newspaper said. In one patient, a 3D-printed skull was used to help a patient with a skull fracture. The physicians hope to be using ceramic and titanium to print dental and bone implants.
Meanwhile, regulators are working to keep 3D printing laws up to date in the UAE as technology expands rapidly. Redha foresees a day when customers will be able to print items at 3D printing kiosks.
"Therefore we require very clearly defined regulations to control any kind of random printing," Redha told the newspaper.
