Children’s Nebraska is teaming up with UK-based Insight Surgery to bring personalized surgical planning and device manufacturing in-house.This move could reshape how the hospital prepares for complex procedures.By combining 3D printing with virtual planning tools, the partnership is designed to help surgeons move faster and more precisely, ultimately improving care for young patients.
The hospital already houses a 10,000-square-foot innovation space with a dedicated 3D printing lab.Now, with Insight Surgery on board, Children’s Nebraska will be able to create patient-specific surgical guides and implants much faster, reducing turnaround times from weeks to days.“We are thrilled to partner with Insight Surgery to bring this transformative technology to our patients,” said Ryan Cameron, vice president of Technology and Innovation at Children’s Nebraska.
“This collaboration will further enable us to provide the highest level of care and ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients and families.” Children’s Nebraska in Omaha.Image courtesy of Children’s Nebraska.Insight Surgery specializes in personalized devices for orthopedic and oncology procedures.
The two organizations recently completed their first joint case: a complex surgery involving a sarcoma in the knee region, where they used virtual planning and custom cutting guides to support a US-based orthopedic oncologist.By manufacturing customized surgical tools on-site, Children’s Nebraska hopes to increase surgical precision, reduce operating times, and improve recovery experiences for patients.The technology also lowers logistical hurdles by allowing customized surgical tools to be produced on-site and shipped quickly.
This makes it possible for Children’s Nebraska to support complex surgeries across the country from a single, centralized hub, cutting down on delays and eliminating the need to rely on third-party manufacturers.“Our collaboration with Children’s Nebraska represents a significant step forward in providing personalized medical devices to change lives,” said Paul Fotheringham, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Insight Surgery.“Together, we will transform the quality and precision of pediatric surgical care.” The partnership follows a strong month for Insight Surgery.
Just days earlier, the company secured $2.5 million in funding led by Nodenza Venture Partners and received clearance from the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its 3D printed orthopedic surgical guides.With operations already underway at the Texas Medical Center, Insight plans to expand with new manufacturing hubs on both U.S.
coasts.The company’s end-to-end platform is designed to make personalized surgical tools quickly accessible, within just ten days, helping hospitals cut costs, reduce complications, and improve outcomes.Insight Surgery’s EmbedMed program for surgical guides.
Image courtesy of Insight Surgery.A Growing Trend in Pediatric Surgery Children’s Nebraska isn’t the only institution pushing 3D printing into operating rooms (ORs).Boston Children’s Hospital has also been at the forefront, using 3D printed models to plan delicate cardiac and craniofacial surgeries, giving surgeons a precise look at a patient’s anatomy before entering the OR, as 3DPrint.com reported in 2024 following an on-site visit.
In Miami, the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital 3D printing lab has been used to create patient-specific heart models for children with complex congenital disabilities.Similarly, Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego has partnered with the University of California, San Diego, to develop 3D printed anatomical models that help surgeons prepare for difficult pediatric cases involving the brain and spine.What these programs have in common is a shift from one-size-fits-all devices toward fully personalized care.
Traditional surgical planning often depends on 2D imaging and generic tools.With 3D printing and digital planning, surgeons can now rehearse procedures on lifelike models or create guides tailored to each patient’s anatomy, which reduces guesswork and surprises in the OR.Why This Matters For children, who are still growing and often have unique anatomical needs, this shift is especially important.
It’s clear that most surgical tools and implants are designed with adults in mind, and children often just get the smallest available size.However, kids have unique needs, and they’re still growing, so one-size-fits-all solutions don’t always work.That’s where personalized solutions, like the kind 3D printing can deliver, become especially important in pediatrics, making it possible to create custom tools that are safer, more precise, and better suited to each patient.
They also help reduce strain on surgical teams and cut down on expensive revisions or complications.Children’s Nebraska’s investment in on-site production and its partnership with Insight Surgery point to a future where 3D printing is not just a cutting-edge tool, but a standard part of surgical care.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
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