PHOTOGRAPH ( THIS PAGE ): DAVID DELPOIO ; PHOTOGRAPH ( OPPOSITE PAGE ): ALEX GAGNE ; ILLUSTRATION : GETTY IMAGES / BRO VECTOR matter of hours and plan the surgery in advance .
“ I don ’ t have to guess or make things up on the fly ,” says Woo , who ’ s also an associate professor of surgery , of pediatrics , and of neurosurgery at Brown . “ I know exactly what I need to do .”
So would a new surgeon : “ 3D models can help the inexperienced doctor have a much better understanding of the anatomy and , arguably , to get as good , or close to as good , a result as a surgeon who ’ s been doing it for 20 years ,” Woo says . “ It levels the playing field and improves consistency in results .”
Though 3D models aren ’ t new to medicine , few hospitals have their own lab . Mail-ordered prints can take a week or more to arrive , cost much more and are printed in just one or two colors — offering little differentiation between bones , tumors , and other structures .
Woo ’ s lab has several 3D printers , including a state-of-the-art behemoth that prints 360,000 colors that was so new that the sales team had never seen one before . The lab coordinator , Joe Crozier , had to teach himself how to use it . “ Now he ’ s one of the top 3D printing technologists in the country ,” Woo says . “ Already , I ’ d say we ’ re one of the top centers in the country for ‘ in the hospital ’ medical 3D printing .”
The potential for 3D printing extends far beyond plastic surgery . Models from Woo ’ s lab have helped physicians plan spinal , heart , and fetal surgeries . Even seasoned surgeons learn from them ; Crozier says a 3D spine model “ literally changed what the chief of neurosurgery was going to do ... just by being able to see it and hold it .”
“ Honestly , we ’ re just skimming the surface now ,” Woo says . “ We ’ re excited to work with other doctors who come to us with interesting problems that we can potentially help resolve with 3D imaging technology .”
The Motherhood Crisis No One Talks About
BY ISHAANI KHATRI
For Adeiyewunmi Osinubi , filming , editing , and producing her own films isn ’ t anything new . “ I started filmmaking in high school , when I co-produced two documentaries about a birth condition called obstetric fistula ,” says Osinubi , who began teaching herself the craft at age 16 .
In her first year of medical school , Osinubi embarked on her most challenging filmmaking endeavor yet : a documentary series titled Black Motherhood through the Lens . It follows four Black women as they navigate the reproductive and maternal health care system , from conception to postpartum .
Despite the challenges they face — from miscarriage to lack of access to infertility care to postpartum depression — each woman pursues her dream of becoming a mother .
“ There has been a lot of media attention on Black maternal mortality ,” Osinubi says . “ I wanted to address that , and I also wanted to diversify media representation of people going through infertility and postpartum mood disorders . The little media attention on these topics has been primarily through the voices of white women .”
Osinubi taught herself every aspect of the filmmaking process : “ I was the producer , I was the director , I was the cinematographer , I was the sound person ,” she says . Working solo allowed her to build strong relationships with her subjects , imbuing the film with intimacy and authenticity , she adds .
The hard work paid off : Black Motherhood through the Lens was picked up by the International Black & Diversity Film Festival , the Rhode Island Black Film Festival , and the American Public Health Association film festival , among other events .
Osinubi says storytelling will be an integral part of her medical career . “ I want to use media in my practice of medicine ,” she says , “ whether that be raising awareness about important issues or communicating health topics to the public .” blackmotherhoodfilm . com , Twitter : @ Ade _ Osinubi
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