TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – 3-D printed technology is leading to new innovations in medical procedures.

That includes a printed device created by doctors at USF Health, which is giving patients a more customized surgery.

The small tool is called a Patient Specific Guide, and surgeons say it’s helping make some surgeries, specifically for shoulders and knees, more precise and leading to better outcomes.

“Our failure rate was already low, but this drops it by 50 percent or maybe even more,” said Dr. Charles Nofsinger, assistant professor of orthopedics at USF.

Doctors use a scan to create a custom 3-D model of a patient’s knee or shoulder. Using that scan, they’re able to print a custom guide that lines up with the patient’s exact anatomy.

The guide is then used in the operating room to physically line up surgical tools and make sure each incision is as accurate as possible.

“We can then drill tunnels and cut things so that it’s perfect,” Nofsinger said. “When we put in the new ligament or the new knee, it will work exactly as your original.”

USF Health has the patent on the Patient Specific Guide, which is now being used in operating rooms across the country.

Nofsinger believes the tool will eventually be part of standard care for orthopedic surgeries.