Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons Still Hesitant to Use 3-D Printing

Despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a 3-D printed facial implant that can be used on patients needing facial reconstruction, many craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgeons still are hesitant to use 3-D printed devices due to lack of insurance, says an analyst at research and consulting firm GlobalData.

Medical device analyst Linda Tian says surgeons are still hesitant to try 3-D printed medical devices, despite the FDA approval, as there is a lack of insurance covering the technology. According to Tian, patient-specific medical implants still don’t have sufficient insurance coverage or existing reimbursement opportunities. As a result many surgeons do not consider it financially viable and still opt for more traditional reconstructive devices. Surgeons have also rejected offers to participate in medical training for pre-surgical planning and 3-D printed implants.

The news comes after a number of clinics and companies have noted successful attempts at using 3-D printed medical devices on patients. 3-D printed vertebrae, skulls and pre-surgery medical models all have been used successfully to aid patients in need of restorative surgery. Doctors and researchers also have found that 3-D scanning and printing a patient not only is more accurate in terms of implants and surgical planning, but also is very efficient.

“The processing chain, from data acquisition to 3D printing of CMF patient-specific implants, has proven to be practical and uncomplicated,” said Tian. “However, 3-D printing might continue to be plagued by a major weakness in terms of its future growth within the orthopedic industry, namely the need for hospital administrators to cut costs associated with high-volume surgeries, such as trauma.”

According to Tian, even though 3-D printed implants may reduce overall costs of implant ownership by reducing operating time, hospital stay duration and the chance of procedure complications, there still is a lack of clinical evidence proving the actual cost-effectiveness of 3-D printed implants in facial reconstructive surgeries.

3-D printing will continue to be used in the medical field today mainly by companies, hospitals and large clinics looking to conduct their own research and experiment with the opportunities made possible by the technology, experts predict.

“Over the next five years, the medical devices sector will see more partnerships between small contract 3-D-printing service firms and large orthopedic companies seeking to explore opportunities in this technology,” said Tian. “This will occur as the clinical community increasingly acknowledges the efficiencies of a serviced-based approach to personalized surgery that combines expertise in medical imaging, surgical simulation and 3-D printing.”