Earlier this year, 2021, a team of scientists led by Dr. Dung Tran Trung, PhD, MD, from the College of Health Science, VinUniversity successfully carried out the first pelvic replacement using 3D-printed technology in patient with bone cancer in Vietnam, with excellent results resulting in near full mobility for the patient.  

In an article published in Annals of Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Dung and his team describe the case study of a 57-year-old man with left pelvic cancer. He was wheelchair bound due to poor hip function, and his quality of life was severely impacted. Standard treatment protocol would require chemotherapy and removal of a significant part of the pelvis, which would have confined him to a life in the wheelchair.  

Surgical planning and procedure were carefully developed and executed by Prof. Dung and his team. The patient’s data was sent to Chunli Zenda (Shanghai) for designing and manufacturing the custom-made 3D printed implant. The surgery was then arranged into two phases: tumor cut-up phase and implant placement phase.  

The intense surgery lasted for nearly seven hours and was a big success. The patient could sit up in bed 24 hours after the operation. He was able to walk with a support frame and no weight bearing on his left leg after 48 hours. During the first two weeks, he began doing muscle-strengthening exercises in bed and learned to walk 50 meters with a support frame each day. After six months of follow-up, the patient’s overall condition was stable, and the surgical site had fully healed. 

Seven teams participating in the surgery on January, 2021. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital 

Pelvic cancer accounts for 4-10% of all bone cancers (Morris C.D, 2010). Using customized 3D-printed prostheses has been proven to be beneficial in treating bone cancer, particularly in medically advanced countries, such as Japan, India, and China. However, it has not yet been adopted in Vietnam due to high levels of professional expertise required from doctors and advanced surgical facilities.   

“It makes us happy to see that with this surgery, the patient can resume a normal life and not live a life of physical disability. It also gives us hope that we can continue to use state-of–the-art 3-D part replacement procedure to help other patients suffering from bone cancer.” said Prof. Dung. 

Dr. Dung Tran Trung, PhD, MD. Photo: Vinmec Hospital 

Using custom-made 3D-printed implants is an effective solution for bone cancer treatment in the world. Therefore, this first successful artificial pelvic replacement in Vietnam can be considered a significant milestone, paving the way for more golden opportunities for Vietnamese patients to live fuller lives after bone cancer treatment.  

You can access the full PDF of the article HERE.

By Nguyen Minh Phuong

References: 

Tran Trung, D., Quang, S. N., Trung, H. P., Tu, N. V., Sy Quyen, N. V., Duc, T. T., Dung, N. T., Son, T. T., Viet Dung, P. T., & Van Truong, N. (2021). Partial replacement of pelvis with the hip joint in osteosarcoma treatment: A case report. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 70, 102812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102812  

Carol D, Morris MD (2010). Pelvic Bone Sarcomas: Controversies and Treatment Options. Official Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 731-737, 10.6004/jnccn.2010.0053