Leaving a print on healthcare

A 25-year-old patient came to the outpatient clinic of orthopaedic oncology at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai three months back.

- SUDHIR CHOWDHARY

He was confused, dejected, and in hope to save his leg.

At another tertiary cancer referral hospital, he was informed that he suffers from a tumor in the pelvic bone and the surgery involves removal of the affected part; the patient would be bedridden for nearly 6–7 months and will eventually have one limb shorter than the other limb by 5–7 cms.

The difficulty in his case was the site of his cancer, around the hip joint.

On seeing the X-rays and MRI of this patient, a team of doctors at the hospital were able to carry out a pelvic bone replacement with a patient-specific implant using 3D printing. They were successful in safely removing the cancer with replacement of the excised pelvic bone with a custom-made prosthesis.

Here's the best part: this novel and innovative surgical treatment had the same young man walking on his new hip without the fear of cancer.

The use of medical 3D printing is steadily increasing in India. 3D-printed models now allow for detailed surgical planning, creation of patient-specific tools and implants tailored to each scenario.