From imaging to practice: development and evaluation of reusable kidney models based on multi-case data screening

Prior to surgery, it is crucial to provide junior resident doctors the opportunity to practice partial nephrectomy. Three-dimensional printing is an economical way to provide realistic and reusable kidney models. The purpose of this study was to test the appearance and content validity of the 3D printing training model for partial nephrectomy. The CT data of 104 patients with renal tumors were analyzed to determine the design scheme of the model. After several rounds of expert consultation, manual rendering optimization is carried out. The model is manufactured by Stereolithography. Urology experts were invited to compare the 3D printing model with the isolated pig kidney from three dimensions: appearance, tissue touch, and reusability. Compared to the traditional porcine kidney standard, the 3D-printed model provided a superior simulation of renal tumors, as evidenced by significantly higher scores for tumor size ( p = 0.032) and tumor color ( p = 0.046). Furthermore, it demonstrated significantly greater reusability (4.5 ± 0.76 vs. 2.0 ± 1.07 for the porcine model; p = 0.008). This model can be used for simulation training of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, which solves the inherent limitations of traditional animal organ models that cannot be reused.