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Professor Tran Trung Dung is changing the fate of bone cancer patients with 3D printing technology – which allows the “recreation” of lost bone, helping patients return to normal life. Photo: TK

When 3D printing becomes a “lifesaver” for bone cancer patients

Bone cancer, especially in complex locations such as the pelvis or femur, has long been associated with the “decision” of amputation. This is a life-saving option, but it also leaves a lifelong psychological and physical scar for the patient.

In recent years, world medicine has developed bone regeneration techniques using individually designed metal implants, but the cost is so high that most patients do not have access to it. In Vietnam, bone structure regeneration was almost impossible before 3D printing technology was applied.

At Vinmec, Professor Tran Trung Dung and his team have changed this reality. With a foundation of convergence between orthopedic surgery, biomedical technology and simulation techniques, his team has mastered the technique of 3D printing personalized implants for the most complex bone cancer cases. They rely on CT and MRI imaging data of each patient, create a three-dimensional bone model and design an implant that is absolutely suitable for the patient's anatomy.

A case of pelvic bone cancer was forced to face the risk of permanent disability. The team of doctors collected images, simulated the destroyed bone structure and designed an implant to replace the entire damaged area. The surgery combined tumor removal, reconstruction and 3D implant fixation was successful. Two years after surgery, the patient was able to walk, had good motor function recovery and had no significant complications.

Another patient had to have almost the entire femur amputated due to cancer. Vinmec has reconstructed the entire femur using a 3D printed model, helping to restore the supporting structure of the lower limb, ensuring long-term mobility. Cases that doctors could only shake their heads at because they could not reconstruct the anatomy have now become proof of the great progress of Vietnamese medicine.

What makes this technology successful is the “on-site design studio” model. The 3D printing workshop located at VinUni allows engineers and doctors to work together right in the hospital environment. Doctors understand anatomy and surgery; engineers understand materials, structures and simulation, when they coordinate in real time, the resulting implants are highly accurate and optimally suited to surgery.

This interdisciplinary combination brings Vietnamese medicine closer to the world's leading medical centers. More importantly, it helps patients restore their body structure instead of having to accept lifelong loss.

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Professor Tran Trung Dung said that the cost of 3D implants depends on three factors: design time, production scale and the readiness of the technology system. Vietnam is creating a new approach for all three of these factors. Photo: TK

Why the world pays 60,000 USD but Vietnam can still do it?

Despite the huge leap forward, medical 3D printing still faces one major hurdle: cost. In the United States and Europe, the price of a 3D-printed implant for bone regeneration surgery can be as high as $30,000 to $60,000. That’s far beyond the average income and the affordability of most patients, even with commercial insurance.

In Vietnam, the application of this technology is even more difficult because patients almost have to rely 100% on support from charity funds. The health insurance system does not have a legal corridor to pay for 3D printed implants, making accessibility narrow.

The question is how Vietnam can deploy 3D printing technology for bone cancer patients at a much lower cost? According to Professor Tran Trung Dung, the cost of 3D implants depends on three factors: design time, production scale and the readiness of the technology system. Vietnam is creating a new approach for all three of these factors.

First, AI has dramatically reduced design times. Previously, it took an engineer two to seven days to design an implant based on complex imaging data. Now, with the help of AI, that time can be reduced to less than two hours, or even just one hour for basic details. The reduction in design time also means a significant reduction in labor costs, which is the largest cost in the 3D implant manufacturing process.

Second, Vinmec will implement a model of inter-hospital connection to design and print multiple implants at the same time. 3D printing has its own characteristics: machine depreciation costs, materials and operating costs are almost unchanged whether printing 1 or 20 products in the same printing session. When hospitals cooperate and send design files to the 3D printing center, the cost is divided into many products, helping to reduce the cost of each implant significantly.

Third, the hospital-based design model helps increase efficiency and reduce operating costs. Doctors and engineers can still perform 100% of the design - simulation - testing process on-site without going through foreign companies with high service prices. Therefore, the cost of creating 3D implants in Vietnam can be only a fraction of that of centers in Europe.

In addition, international cooperation with Japan and Korea also helps Vinmec access new technology, standardize processes and train specialized engineers, thereby gradually forming a sustainable, high-quality but reasonably priced 3D design system.

However, for this solution to be widely replicated, Professor Dung emphasized the urgent need to complete the legal corridor. If health insurance can cover part or all of the cost of 3D implants, patients will have the opportunity to access modern technology without having to depend on charity funds. This is a key step for 3D technology to not only be a solution to save rare severe cases but also become a new standard in bone cancer treatment.

Mastering technology and reaching out to the region

Mastering the entire 3D printing application chain – from diagnosis, simulation, design to manufacturing and surgery – puts Vietnam on the regional map of medical innovation. The technology not only serves domestic treatment but also has the potential to export medical knowledge and products.

Under the new strategy, Vinmec plans to expand its hospital network in Southeast Asia. This is not only a market move, but also opens up opportunities to bring 3D printed implants to patients in the region, where the demand for bone cancer treatment is huge but the cost of international services is still too high.

Not only stopping at bone cancer, 3D printing in pathology can also be expanded to bone regeneration due to accidents, congenital deformities, replacing complex joint structures, even creating simulation models for training and surgical planning. All of these contribute to bringing Vietnamese medicine closer to international standards and affirming Vietnam's new position on the biomedical technology map.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/cong-nghe-in-3d-mo-duong-cuu-hang-nghin-benh-nhan-ung-thu-xuong-o-viet-nam-2468965.html