20 hours of "brain-stretching" to save the life of a patient with rare bone cancer

The stressful pelvic reconstruction surgery of Vinmec medical team.

20 hours of surgery brought the patient past death's door

Patient TT, 38 years old, had a malignant tumor that almost completely eroded the left pelvis, with stage III lung metastasis. After 4 cycles of chemotherapy, the tumor responded, but to completely remove it, the only option was to remove the entire left pelvis.

The pelvis not only connects the spine and the lower limbs, but also protects a series of vital organs: the bladder, the rectum, and the blood-vascular system that nourishes the legs. This means that if the pelvis is lost, the patient will not only be unable to move but also be at risk of basic survival functions being disrupted.

Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Tran Quang Sang, Head of the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Surgery, Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital (Hanoi) made a bold decision: to reconstruct the entire pelvis for Ms. T. with a personalized 3D printed titanium implant.

According to this expert, in the world, the number of successful cases of total pelvic reconstruction is not much, only performed in countries with advanced medicine. In Vietnam, Vinmec is one of the pioneering medical systems and Ms. T's surgery is only the 6th case performed by Vinmec using this technique.

The major surgery was as tense as a “marathon in the operating room” lasting 20 hours, mobilizing 15 doctors from many specialties: orthopedic trauma, oncology, general surgery, anesthesia, intensive care, urology, gastroenterology, vascular… Each team took on an important part, coordinating smoothly down to every detail.

The surgery became more difficult when the tumor invaded the entire left pelvis, closely following the large blood vessels and nerves. Even a small mistake could lead to uncontrolled bleeding, paralysis of the lower limbs or damage to vital organs such as the bladder and rectum.

"The team had to completely remove the tumor, preserve vital functions as much as possible, and at the same time prepare to "clear the way" for the personalized 3D printed titanium implant to be placed precisely to the millimeter," said Dr. Sang.

When the 3D-printed titanium implant – designed based on the patient's CT and MRI data – fits perfectly with the patient's body, the tension is gradually relieved.

After nearly a day of being on the brink of death, the patient not only escaped cancer but also retained the ability to move - an achievement that even many of the world's leading medical centers find difficult to achieve. This achievement also opened a new page for bone cancer treatment in Vietnam.

Imprints of 3D printing technology in medicine

Behind this special surgery is a journey of more than 15 years of tireless dedication by Dr. Nguyen Tran Quang Sang and his colleagues at Vinmec Healthcare System. He has become a support for hundreds of patients who seemed to have lost all hope.

In the early years of his career, he was haunted by witnessing many cancer patients, only 10-14 years old, having to have their limbs amputated to save their lives. Their futures were cut short, many children fell into depression and refused treatment. It was these torments that urged him and his colleagues to find a new path.

The idea of using 3D printing technology to regenerate bones came to him during his internship in Japan. Witnessing patients regaining mobility after bone replacement with 3D printed implants, he wondered why the Japanese could do it but Vietnam could not.

Returning home, he began to convince his colleagues and the professional council about a new technology. With faith and perseverance, he and his team at Vinmec began performing the first limb preservation surgeries using 3D printing technology.

One of the special milestones was the total femur replacement for a child with cancer - the first in Vietnam. Six years later, the child is not only healthy but also married, has children, and has a stable job. Recently, Vinmec continued to make its mark with the total femur replacement for the world's youngest child patient using this breakthrough technology.

If in the past, almost 100% of bone cancer patients were forced to have their limbs amputated, now at Vinmec, the limb preservation rate reaches 80-90%.

In particular, under the guidance of Dr. Sang, Vinmec has performed hundreds of complex bone replacement surgeries using 3D printing technology - from the pelvis, femur to even the titanium rib cage. Vinmec also cooperates with engineers and research institutes to continuously improve techniques, designing implants that are increasingly precise, durable and safer for patients.

THIEN LAMB

Source: https://nhandan.vn/20-gio-can-nao-gianh-lai-su-song-cho-benh-nhan-ung-thu-xuong-hiem-gap-post910540.html