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'The biggest secret that nobody knows about'

The models can also help train medical students and explain complicated procedures to patients such as Mia and her family.

Eventually, the printers could be used to produce actual organs that can be transplanted into patients; just replace the rubber and plastic printer "ink" with human cells.

"We are going to see massive advances in the next five to 10 years of how to take the technology to this point," Rader said.

Mia's surgeon carried around a model of the girl's heart for weeks.

Simulated organs are "a disruptive technology which radically changes how we talk to patients, how we prepare for an operation, how we do the operation and how we teach," said Dr. Daniel B. Jones, professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Simulation and Skills Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

However, the technology is not widely in use in hospitals or medical schools yet.

"This is like the biggest secret that nobody knows about," said Jones, who has done research on surgeons' impressions of using simulated organs. Even those who do know about the technology might feel uncomfortable showing patients a model of their tumor, for example, and discussing it with them in depth.

Hospitals are starting to invest in the technology, which is more realistic now that prices have come down, Jones said.

The printer and software usually cost in the range of $100,000, which is less than a CT scan or MRI setup, Rader said. He predicts that interest in the technology will continue to grow as research shows how using simulated organs leads to better surgical outcomes and shorter operating times.

The models have also been invaluable in helping patients and their families feel confident that they are doing the right thing, said Burke, who operated on Mia.

Seeing the model "made it seem like a simple surgery, it put you at ease," said Gonzalez, Mia's mom. "(Mia) was used to hospitals and IVs, but to explain that you're going to have surgery and be in pain, that is all different," and the model helped put it in perspective, she said.

Four months later, the surgery seems like ancient history to Mia. She has forgotten all about her surgical scar, her mother said, and had little pain. Although she has had some minor colds, none has landed her in the hospital. A month later, she was even able to participate in her dance recital.