Dr. Lars Brouwers is a surgeon in training with special interest in complicated trauma fractures, which are difficult to diagnose on “regular” X-ray and CT scans. As cofounder of the Medical 3D Lab at Elisabeth Tweesteden Hospital in Tilburg, the Netherlands, Dr. Brouwers focuses on researching different ways to show these fractures to surgeons, surgical residents, and patients through both VR and 3D printing.

“My goal is to provide surgeons an extended workup in the surgical treatment of fractures, to give surgical residents a better understanding and faster learning curve in understanding fracture patterns – and patients better satisfaction and improved understanding,” Dr. Brouwers says.

Dr. Brouwers is also the founder of the 3D Foundation Sierra Leonne, an organization that creates and investigates 3D scans and prints for custom prosthetics in the African nation. Additionally, he serves as an external advisor for others starting medical 3D labs in several Netherlands-based hospitals.

In the future, I envision and hope for 3D printing hubs in every hospital, as well as an expansion of the daily workup with 3D printing, next to X-ray and CT scans.

Original Blog by: Ultimaker