This study examined a small group of eight patients who underwent cranioplasty to repair cranial defects. The surgeons used customized polymethylmethacrylate implants that were fabricated using 3D-printed molds. The process took about one to three hours to design and two to ten hours to print, depending on the size of the defect.
After the surgery, the team evaluated the results and found that aesthetic outcomes were satisfactory in 7 of the 8 patients, which is 87.5%. No major implant-related complications were observed during the follow-up period, though the length of follow-up was not reported in the study.
The authors suggest this technique is feasible and accessible, particularly for resource-limited settings. Readers should understand that because the study involved only eight patients and was a retrospective case series, the findings are preliminary. More research is needed to confirm if this approach is effective and safe for a wider population before it becomes a standard recommendation.