"Miracle" of limb regeneration for bone cancer patient in Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - No longer having to accept the "decision" of amputating limbs, thousands of bone cancer patients in Vietnam are having the opportunity to preserve their bodies and regain mobility thanks to Made in Vietnam 3D printing technology.

Professor, Doctor Tran Trung Dung, General Director of Vinmec Healthcare System, shares about 3D bone printing technology that can help cancer patients (Photo: VinFuture).

When technology rewrites the fate of patients

Previously, with complex cases of invasive bone cancer, especially in difficult locations such as the pelvis or femur, doctors were often forced to amputate the limb to preserve life.

Traditional methods such as autologous bone grafting, allogeneic bone grafting or biological cement are often not structurally adequate for large injuries, leading to the risk of permanent disability and persistent mental pain for the patient.

"Many patients and their families do not accept the removal of body parts. Therefore, regeneration is extremely important," Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung, General Director of Vinmec Healthcare System, shared at the seminar "Advances in disease detection, diagnosis and treatment" organized by VinFuture Foundation on the morning of December 3.

Professor Dung cited a case from six years ago about a patient with bone cancer that invaded the femoral head and pelvis. At that time, ordering 3D printed hip and pelvis joints from abroad was difficult, and even inappropriate, leading to the need for re-surgery.

However, that story changed in 2024 with the establishment of the 3D Printing Center at VinUni University.

This technology allows precise shaping of the sternum, jawbone and complex pelvic structures for implantation.

3D printing materials help measure and create "perfectly fitting" pieces for each patient. Professor Dung said the team at Vinmec and VinUni has supported about 1,000 cases, especially bone cancer patients, thanks to the interdisciplinary coordination between doctors, engineers and oncologists.

Instead of using ill-fitting pre-made implants, doctors use CT and MRI images of the patient to create a 3D bone model. From there, an implant made of alloy (usually Titanium) is printed with absolute precision, "fitting" the patient's anatomy.

The miraculous effectiveness of this method has been proven in practice. A pelvic cancer patient who once faced the risk of paralysis had surgery to replace the entire damaged area with a 3D printed pelvis.

As a result, after 2 years, the patient walked normally without complications. Or the cases of total femoral reconstruction helped the patient keep his legs, which was previously considered impossible.

The key to Vietnam's success

The creative point that makes Vietnam different is the "on-site design workshop" model.

According to Professor Dung, the implants are not only created with the correct shape but also optimized for the surgical process. Patients do not need to wait for orders from abroad, minimizing risks such as size errors that require re-surgery.

To date, the Vinmec team has supported about 1,000 cases, of which 80% of 3D printed filament products for bones in Vietnam are domestically produced, opening up hope for patients with bone cancer, bone loss trauma, or congenital malformations.

Decoding the cost problem

Worldwide , the cost of a 3D printed implant can be up to 30,000 - 60,000 USD (equivalent to hundreds of millions to billions of VND), a figure beyond the reach of most Vietnamese patients, especially when health insurance does not cover this item.

However, Vietnam has found a solution to "popularize" this high technology based on 3 pillars:

Application of artificial intelligence (AI): Previously, it took engineers 2-7 days to design an implant model. Now, with the support of AI, the time is shortened to less than 2 hours. This significantly reduces the cost of design personnel.

Networking: By connecting hospitals, printing batches are pooled together to be done at once (10-20 implants can be printed at the same time). This helps to divide the machine operating and material costs, reducing the cost per unit of product.

Technological autonomy: Designing and printing domestically helps eliminate expensive intermediary costs of foreign companies.

Not only stopping at curing domestic patients, 3D printing technology for artificial bones is making Vietnam a bright spot on the regional medical map.

By mastering the process from diagnosis, design to production, Vietnam is aiming to expand patient support in Southeast Asian countries - where the need for treatment is great but international medical costs remain a barrier.

Professor Tran Trung Dung commented: "The future is an opportunity to provide comprehensive solutions. From regenerating the sternum, jawbone, to complex joints, 3D printing technology is truly paving the way for an era of "personalized" treatment, where each patient has the opportunity to be completely healed."

VinFuture 2025 Science and Technology Week, taking place from December 2 to December 6 in Hanoi.

With the theme “Together we grow - Together we prosper”, this year’s series of annual international events continues to affirm VinFuture’s mission in connecting knowledge, arousing the desire to serve and elevating Vietnam’s position as a center for promoting science and innovation in the world.

The week includes 7 main activities: Inspirational speeches, Science for Life discussion; VinFuture future exploration dialogue series; The Touch of Science exhibition, VinFuture award ceremony; exchange with the VinFuture 2025 award winners; VinUni - Leadership Forum: Higher Education Innovation Conference.

The highlight of the event was the VinFuture 2025 Awards Ceremony, which took place on the evening of December 5 at the Hoan Kiem Theater (Hanoi). This is an event to honor outstanding scientific works that have had a positive and sustainable impact on millions, even billions of people around the world.

This year, the award will be given to works that bring the value of "Together we grow - Together we prosper" to humanity, as the theme has set out, affirming VinFuture's mission of honoring intelligence, spreading humanity and serving life.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/phep-mau-tai-sinh-tu-chi-cho-benh-nhan-ung-thu-xuong-tai-viet-nam-20251203152923306.htm