In a landmark surgery, a 54-year-old man suffering from a chest wall sarcoma underwent surgery to have his sternum and part of his rib cage replaced. The patient had a type of tumor that grows in and around the ribs and sternum, the bones that are designed to protect the chest wall.
The ribcage is difficult to recreate with prosthetics, so the patient’s surgical team at Salamanca University Hospital decided to venture in a new direction — create a 3D-printed sternum.
The surgeons turned to Melbourne-based medical device company Anatomics. The company designed and manufactured the prosthetic and Australian public agency CSIRO printed the device at Lab 22, a 3D printing facility, according to a CSIRO news statement.
The prosthetic was fully customized to the man’s chest and the size and shape of the tumor. The team used high-resolution CT scans to make a model that was a replica of the man’s chest. This 3D model allowed the surgeon to make precise plans where to cut into the patient’s rib cage, according to CNET.
The model also allowed Anatomics to manufacture an implant that would match the surgical incision and conform to the size and shape of the man’s chest.
Once the implant was created, it was sent to Spain for surgery to remove the cancer and reconstruct the patient’s chest.
The patient was released from the hospital twelve days are the surgery and is recovering well.
“This breakthrough is an impressive example of what can be achieved when industry and science come together,” Australian Minister Macfarlane said in a news statement.
“This collaboration crossed disciplines and international boundaries, with a clear benefit for both this individual patient and for surgical practice.”
