The Telegraph | Madhumita Murgia
| 3-year-old Lucy (right) is the world's first child to survive an adult kidney transplant, using 3D printing |
A three-year-old girl from Northern Ireland has become the first to have a life-saving adult kidney transplant, using 3D printing.
At four months old, Lucy Boucher suffered heart failure which starved her kidneys of oxygen. She was told she would need to have kidney dialysis for life, until surgeons at London's Guy's and St Thomas' and Great Ormond Street Hospital performed the transplant.
My first reaction when I saw the 3D printout of my kidney was surprise at how big it was and I wondered how it could possibly fit into Lucy. Chris Boucher, Lucy's father
To conduct the transplant, for which Lucy's father Chris, 35, donated his kidney, the surgeons made detailed models of Mr Boucher's kidney and Lucy's abdomen with a 3D printer, so they could map out the procedure with precision, hence minimising risks
from Donate Life Organ and Tissue Donation Blog℠ http://ift.tt/206lwEQ
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