Thanks to the guidance of 3D technology, doctors at Vinmec Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center can "turn" seemingly impossible joint surgeries into "within reach" and achieve almost absolute precision, helping disabled patients recover their mobility.
Disabled legs saved
At the age of 44, Mr. Vu Minh Tuan had to be tied to a wheelchair due to the consequences of 30 years of unstable treatment of fibrous dysplasia. Two legs 4cm apart due to deformity of half of his pelvis and femur, Mr. Tuan had to walk completely on one side. In recent years, his hip joint has degenerated severely in the final stage and has become inflamed, he almost has to rely on a wheelchair and crutches to walk. Despite having difficulty walking, he still tried to work to support his family, but the pain of his illness often made him desperate. Most of the doctors he visited "shook their heads" because his bone and joint deformities were too complicated, beyond the ability to be replaced with conventional artificial joints.
After many years of searching for doctors and medicine in many places, thinking that he had "given up", recently, in April 2023, his legs were successfully operated on by doctors at Vinmec Orthopedic Trauma & Sports Medicine Center with 3D technology.
Being able to walk on his legs after 3 weeks of surgery, Mr. Tuan felt his life was revived. "In my dreams, I couldn't believe that now I could walk and balance on my legs without support, sit on a low chair, tie my shoelaces, and climb stairs comfortably like this" - Mr. Tuan shared.
The Power of 3D Technology
Anh Tuan was indicated for surgery to replace the entire right hip joint, remove the fibrous tissue in the marrow canal, reconstruct and realign the femur shaft, and balance the length of the two legs during the same surgery.
The challenge was that the structure of the right leg had been severely damaged. The right half of the pelvis and femur were completely deformed, rough like a giant cauliflower. The right thigh shaft was crooked and deviated in front, back, inside, and outside directions. The bone shell was thin, the bone wall was weak, and even a small force could break it. The hip joint surface had completely degenerated and was tightly inflamed. Not to mention, the entire structure of tendons, muscles, and soft tissue around this area had been distorted and transformed to adapt to the deviation over the past 30 years.
If you only rely on personal experience and luck to perform surgery, the chance of success is very low because it cannot be performed, or it is very difficult, and prolonged with many complications and results that are not as expected. In this case, 3D technology will help to personalize artificial joints, each slice, and each detail in the surgery is "tailored" for each patient, supporting the surgery to achieve maximum precision, and reducing complications to the lowest level. "3D technology has allowed seemingly impossible surgeries to become within reach" - Dr. CKII Pham Trung Hieu, Head of the Department of Hip & Pelvic Surgery, Vinmec Orthopedic Trauma & Sports Medicine Center said.
During the thorough preparation process for the surgery performed in 3 - 5 days, the patient is explained and directly observed in the treatment plan. When the preparation is certain, the 3D-printed equipment is sterilized and follows the doctor into the actual surgery.
Mr. Tuan's 3-hour major surgery ended smoothly without any complications. Even though the surgery had to involve a lot of the entire pelvic-thigh structure, which is prone to bleeding, the patient did not need to receive even one bag of blood. 2 days after surgery, he was able to practice walking with a walker and was discharged 7 days after surgery. 3 weeks after surgery, the hip joint function on the operated leg improved significantly compared to before, so he was able to walk comfortably.
It is known that before this case, in 2021, doctors also applied 3D technology to replace the femur and knee joint for a woman with a 10cm difference in the length of her legs due to bone loss and osteoarthritis accompanied by deformity and soft tissue shrinkage for 18 years. Currently, she walks completely normally. Combining 3D simulation and printing technology, and precise positioning robots, Vinmec Orthopedic Trauma & Sports Medicine Center has successfully performed knee replacement surgeries with a joint life expectancy of up to 25 - 30 years, or limb preservation for many bone cancer cases in Vietnam...
The remarkable advances of 3D printing technology are creating a new era in orthopedic surgery as well as in several other specialties. Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, Director of Vinmec Orthopedic Trauma & Sports Medicine Center, said: “3D printing technology can bring miraculous values and impacts to patients, even beyond the current imagination of doctors. With this technology, hospitals can use surgical instruments that fit the anatomy of Vietnamese people at a much lower cost than imported products from the US or Europe. This is very meaningful and can create a personalized “revolution” in joint replacement surgery that is developing strongly in Vietnam, helping patients escape from pathological pain and improve their quality of life”.
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