Effect of a three-dimensional (3D) printed kidney model on patient understanding of the percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedure: a preliminary study

Three-dimensional (3D) printed anatomical models can provide cognitive anatomical information. We aimed to study the effect of a 3D printed kidney model on patient understanding of kidney anatomy and the percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedure as well as the overall patient satisfaction with the model. Seven patients who underwent PCNL were enrolled in the study. Personalized 3D printed kidney models were constructed based on the patients’ computed tomography images. Patients completed two questionnaires regarding their understanding and satisfaction with the use of the 3D printed kidney model before and after using the model during informed consent. The mean age of the study population was 58.0 years. Comparison of patient understanding and satisfaction between the two questionnaires showed a general trend toward better understanding and improved satisfaction with use of 3D printed kidney models. Statistically significant results were seen for understanding of kidney anatomy, stone size, procedure, and satisfaction (p values 0.046, 0.025, 0.046, and 0.046, respectively). Five of the seven patients (71.4%) answered that the model was very useful. However, none of the patients answered that the cost was appropriate. In the current study, patients showed improved understanding of the kidney anatomy and the PCNL procedure and higher satisfaction with using the 3D printed kidney model during informed consent. With further studies using larger patient numbers and decreased production cost, using 3D printed kidney models has the potential to be a useful adjunct for patient understanding during PCNL.