A Carle Illinois College of Medicine team is using 3D scanning and printing technology to help breast cancer patients following a mastectomy. CI MED innovators are developing a process to create affordable, custom-fit breast prostheses in the physician’s office, bypassing the wait time and high cost of existing products.
“Some patients go without because they lack insurance coverage, can’t afford the out-of-pocket expense, or are simply unaware of their options,” said CI MED Clinical Sciences Professor and Carle Health plastic surgeon Dr. Victor Stams.
Stams is collaborating with CI MED student Rand Kittani on a process to produce low-cost, 3D-printed prostheses, created at the point of care. “By offering an affordable and immediate alternative to traditional breast reconstruction surgeries, this initiative directly addresses the financial and social barriers associated with social determinants of health,” Kittani said.
For patients who don’t undergo breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, prostheses are commonly used to replicate the form of a breast under clothing. Prostheses can range in price from a little over a hundred dollars to thousands for custom-made options. The CI MED team aims to cut those costs to between $50 and $200, depending on the material. They’re also designing a process that can be completed in the physician’s office, eliminating lengthy production and wait times.
“Beyond cost and convenience, what excites me most is the opportunity to give patients a sense of dignity and control during a vulnerable time,” Stams said.
The idea of a 3D printed prosthesis was inspired by the work of anatomist Julien Montenero, CEO of REALETEE in Nice, France, who specializes in realistic, custom-fit breast prostheses created by capturing 3D imaging of a patient’s anatomy.
Kittani’s team is adapting that concept using 3D scanners and 3D printers that are readily available on the market. Before the patient undergoes a mastectomy, the care team would use 3D scanners to capture images of the patient’s healthy breast tissue. The scanned images would provide a digital pattern for a 3D printer to follow in creating a prosthesis that matches the patient’s unique anatomy. “The customization aspect of 3D printing also allows for a better aesthetic match, which can have a meaningful impact on body image and recovery,” Stams explained.
Prostheses are typically made of silicone gel or other soft material. The more realistic, comfortable, and custom-fit the prosthesis, the higher the price. The CI MED team is prototyping their process with different materials, ranging from plastic and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) 3D printing to bioprinting (3D printing technique using living cells and other biomaterials to create functional tissues) to determine the material that balances fit, comfort, and affordability.
Preliminary research from the team suggests future development potential by integrating advanced MRI software to achieve greater realism in prosthetic designs.
Editor’s note: The 3D-printed breast prosthesis project was presented as a poster at the Surgeons and Engineers conference of the American College of Surgeons in March 2025. It is one of several Capstone Innovations being developed by the CI MED Class of 2026. Besides Dr. Stams (principal investigator) and Kittani (project lead), collaborators include CI MED students Ayse Ozkan, Daniel Najafali, and Vignesh Chennupati.