Atrium Health is leading a new collaboration with the Department of Engineering at the University of North Carolina and the Department of Innovation at Atrium Health to create three-dimensional liver replicas for robotic surgical planning and training. This application of 3D printing techniques within the surgical field is made possible with a grant for $50,000 from the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons.

As one of the most experienced hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) teams in the Southeast, Atrium Health’s HPB surgeons are nationally regarded and sought out to teach HPB procedures at other health systems. Led by professors of surgery Dionisios Vrochides, MD, and John Martinie, MD, the goals of this collaboration are to improve the technical performance of robot-assisted liver surgery, as well as the effectiveness of surgical training, using models with lifelike anatomical detail and texture. By combining technology with human aspects of health care and education, the study is a testament to Atrium Health’s commitment to innovation and translational research.

Pictured: 1. John B. Martinie, MD, Professor of Surgery, Division of HPB Surgery – Carolinas Medical Center

2. Dionisios Vrochides, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery – Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center; Assistant Program Director – Robotic HPB Surgery Fellowship Atrium Health; Professor of Surgery – Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center