The 22-year-old patient suffered from a bone disorder which caused her skull to be 5cms thick, instead of 1.5cms. This resulted in the patient having severe headaches and fading eyesight.
The disorder meant that major surgery would be inevitable to save the patient's life.
Doctors at University Medical Centre Utrecht were forced to remove the skull in a 23-hour operation, replacing it with a plastic, 3D-printed alternative, created by an Australian 3D-printing firm.
After three months, the patient's eyesight has returned completely and symptoms have disappeared, according to the medical centre's website.
The medical centre also said the procedure could be used for other situations, such as skull tumours or severe skull trauma.
Hat-tip to Wired for the original story.
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