Madelynn Northcutt-Wyly, Period 6

3-D printer

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/06/health/3d-printed-heart-simulated-organs/index.html

A four year old girl, Mia Gonzalez, needed a open heart surgery because a part of her aorta was putting pressure on her windpipe making it hard for her to breathe.  At first her family thought she had asthma because she couldn't play outside for long periods of time.  Her parent's told CNN that she had to constantly skip dance class and day care because she would have colds or be winded.  After being in the hospital for ten days, the doctors realized Mia had a complicated heart disorder and were nervous about the procedure they had to perform.  But thanks to the invention of the 3-D printer, the doctors could make a model of her organs to plan the procedure before performing it.  The doctor realized he could make a smaller cut than he planned from the 3-D printer.  The doctor was no longer hesitant about the surgery.
The advancements of technology has allowed the doctors to see a procedure before preforming it on the patient.  They can print organs based on the patient's MRIs or CT scans.  One of the doctors said, "Without the model, I would have been less certain about (operating on Mia) and that would have led me naturally to make a larger incision that could possibly cause more pain or a longer recovery time."  The 3-D printer has allowed the doctors to perform more advanced surgeries and has advanced the quality of care.  In the past, the doctors might not have even performed the surgery if they were so hesitant.  Technology is only going to keep advancing, hopefully in the future doctors can make a fully functional organ.