A YOUNG boy often compared to an "alien" since birth has been given a chance at a normal life thanks to 3D printing technology.
OPPORTUNITY: The operation has given the young lad a chance at a normal life
Doctors creating a detailed model of the boy’s misshaped head – who suffered previously because of a rare skull defect.
Now eight months old, the boy known as Xiao Yu, is now recovering following the successful surgery.
SURGERY: Doctors were able to print the young boy a 3D skull
OPERATION: The surgery proved to be successful as the young lad is recovering
Craniosynostosis, which is estimated to affect six babies in every 10,000, causes the joints between the patient’s skull bones to close prematurely before the brain is fully formed.
More worrying than the effect on the subject’s appearance, however, is the fact that the condition can impair brain development – which could cause seizures and even death.
Xiao Yu was put in the care of Dr Bao Nan and his colleagues at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center in East China.
Return to top of page