Vinmec, Vietnam’s main personal healthcare system, has strengthened its place as a number one innovator in medical 3D printing expertise by efficiently finishing a complete elbow megaprosthesis.
The uncommon and extremely complicated surgical procedure marks a key milestone in superior orthopedic surgical procedure within the nation. The process restored arm perform to the affected person after nearly 30 years of extreme incapacity, and follows in Vinmec’s pioneering pathway in 3D printed medical innovation.
Final yr, Vinmec carried out a complete femoral substitute utilizing personalised 3D printed metallic for a kid affected person – an unprecedented resolution for the historically accepted method within the nation. Vinmec had already turn out to be the primary hospital in Southeast Asia to efficiently carry out a completely 3D printed titanium chest wall reconstruction.
For its newest development in 3D medical tech, Vinmec handled affected person Vu Hong Phong, whose elbow joint was fully fused and unstable because of a childhood harm that had progressively deteriorated over time. The elbow had an estimated 6-centimeter defect within the distal humerus, ensuing within the left arm being 4-5 centimeters shorter than the correct, traits that pushed the case past customary elbow substitute.
“That is a particularly uncommon case with a really excessive stage of complexity, and there are just about no precedents in Vietnam,” acknowledged Dr. Tran Quyet, Head of Higher Limb Surgical procedure, Musculoskeletal and Orthopedic Trauma Heart at Vinmec Instances Metropolis. “The affected person has waited for 27 years. One other failure would have had a extreme psychological influence. That’s the reason we had been decided to create a brand new alternative to vary his life.”
The medical workforce opted for a complete elbow megaprosthesis mixed with reconstruction of the intensive bone defect, given the complexity of the scenario.
Utilizing superior in-hospital 3D expertise, the elbow was rebuilt just about, layer by layer. The reconstruction was deliberate intimately utilizing CT-based fashions to simulate the prevailing deformity and design a prosthesis that was bespoke to the affected person’s distinctive joint anatomy.
Three days post-operation Phong was capable of gently transfer his arm, and inside simply two weeks had full extension of the elbow and a life-transforming vary of motion.
“After almost 30 years, I lastly really feel like I’ve a standard arm once more,” stated Phong. “It strikes so naturally as if I by no means had surgical procedure in any respect.”