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. 2025 May 27:15:1526592.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1526592. eCollection 2025.

From virtual to reality: application of a novel 3D printing hollow model for early-stage lung cancer in the clinical teaching of thoracoscopic sublobar resection

Di Yang #  1   2 , Yafei Miao #  1   2 , Linqian Li #  3   4   5 , Qing Yu #  1   2 , Qiang Guo #  2 , Hefei Li #  2 , Xuguang Zhang #  2 , Shujie Cheng #  4   6 , Jinghua Li #  4   6 , Ke Zhang #  2   3   4   5
Affiliations

From virtual to reality: application of a novel 3D printing hollow model for early-stage lung cancer in the clinical teaching of thoracoscopic sublobar resection

Di Yang et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: The integration of medical-engineering interdisciplinary technology has transformed clinical skills and anatomical knowledge teaching. Three-dimensional printing (3DP), an innovative tool, shows promise in enhancing surgical training and anatomical understanding. This study evaluates the educational efficacy of a 3DP lung cancer model optimized for surgery in teaching thoracoscopic sublobar resection.

Methods: A total of 62 clinical interns were randomly assigned into two groups: a 3D visualization (3DV) model group and a 3DP model group. Pre- and post-teaching test scores were compared to assess the effectiveness of both models in enhancing anatomical knowledge and surgical skills. Additionally, feedback was collected from the interns regarding the advantages of each model.

Results: There was no significant difference in the pre-teaching test scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, post-teaching scores in the 3DP group were significantly higher than those in the 3DV group (P < 0.05). Survey feedback revealed that the 3DV group excelled in convenience (P < 0.001), while the 3DP group demonstrated superiority in the ease of knowledge acquisition and understanding of vascular spatial relationships (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding model intuitiveness and identification of the lung segment range influenced by the safety margin (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The 3DP model, featuring a transparent hollow sublobar boundary, significantly improved comprehension of complex anatomical relationships and enhanced teaching outcomes in surgical skills. It offers an innovative and effective tool for teaching thoracoscopic sublobar resection, with potential applications in surgical navigation.

Keywords: 3D printing; 3D visualization; clinical teaching; medical education; sublobar resection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the study process. The figure illustrates the workflow from CT images of a right upper lobe lung cancer case to 3D reconstruction, followed by the printing of a physical model, and finally its application in clinical teaching. After innovative hollowing of the root, both the safety margin and the lung segment boundary have been displayed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) 3DV model of early-stage lung cancer in the right upper lobe; (b) 3DP model of early-stage lung cancer in the right upper lobe with transparent hollow sublobar boundaries and safe margins, without lung parenchyma. The trachea is represented in white, veins in red, arteries in blue, and the tumor in yellow.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of test scores between the 3DV (n=31) and 3DP (n=31) groups at two time points. (a) Comparison of pre-teaching scores between the two groups; (b) Comparison of post-teaching scores between the two groups. * indicates P < 0.05, NS: Not Significant.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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