Taking CT and X-ray data, Longgang Gong, the ENT specialist at Xi’an Red Cross Hospital, created a 3D printed model of the patient's disheveled mandible in order to get a more realistic view of the defects that needed correcting.

Two Maxillofacial Surgeons, Clossman and Houlton from VA Puget Sound Health Care Center, with help from radiologists using CT scans, created exact replicas of three patients’ mandibles, using the hospital’s Stratasys 3D printer. These models allowed the surgeons to compare standard mandibular implants to the 3D printed replicas, adjusting the size and shape as needed. The 3D printed custom mandible models was made in 2hours with OR time estimated at about $80 a minute, avoiding anesthesia workup and surgery planning.