University of Gothenburg

History

2025: 3D printed tissue implantation begins

In mid-August 2025, it became known that Swedish researchers from the University Hospital Salgrenska in Gothenburg are starting to implant tissues created on. 3D printer This method of therapy is used for the first time in the world.

The first patients to receive 3D-printed tissues will be 10 people who require abdominoplasty. This is plastic surgery to change the shape, size and volume of the abdomen. The procedure is carried out in order to reconstruct soft tissues, eliminate umbilical hernia and remove excess sagging skin. The surgery helps improve the aesthetic of the anterior abdominal wall.

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Фото: Freepik

During the formation of the structure through a 3D printer, doctors using liposuction take a small amount of adipose tissue from patients, which is then processed and mixed with biochernils containing nanocellulose and alginate (already used in medicine). Next, tissue is printed for implantation back to the patient.

Lars Kölby, professor of plastic surgery at the University of Gothenburg, notes that the new technology is similar to fat transplantation. According to him, with such procedures, a problem arises due to the fact that fat is very soft and over time is absorbed by the body.

The difference now is that we determine the shape of the tissue that will be transplanted back, and we can adjust the stiffness so that the implant does not transform over time, "says Kölby.

In general, the proposed method represents an advanced approach at the intersection of medicine and technology. The researchers note that a 3D printer for printing fabrics can be placed in the same operating room where the procedure is performed. This greatly simplifies the work and eliminates the need for excessive transportation of biomaterial.^[1]

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