Surgeons at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital successfully removed a patient’s sternum and part of her ribs before reconstructing her chest with a custom 3D-printed implant on Tuesday, marking the first time an entire 3D-printed chest cage had been implanted to reconstruct the chest wall in Israel. 

The patient, a woman in her twenties identified as Hadas, underwent the surgery after doctors discovered a tumor eroding her septum. While it initially appeared to be a benign cartilage tumor, extensive testing and examination revealed it to be an exceptionally rare type of sarcoma, a BRAF-altered mesenchymal tumor, which has only been reported in about 20 cases worldwide, according to the medical literature. 

To remove the tumor, surgeons had to remove not just Hadas’s sternum but portions of the ribs attached to it as well. Head of Thoracic Surgery at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, Dr. Yury Peysakhovich, explained the surgical challenge of replacing what “is essentially the anchor of the entire chest.”

“If reconstruction is not precise, both respiratory mechanics and protection of the heart and lungs can be compromised. Every breath, cough, or physical movement places significant stress on this area, making it one of the most complex reconstructions in thoracic surgery,” Peysakhovich said. 

Surgical team chooses PEKK 3D-printed implant instead of traditional options

To make the replacement sternum as precise as possible, the surgical team rejected traditional reconstruction materials such as synthetic mesh, titanium plates, or bone cement, instead electing to use a fully customized 3D-printed chest implant designed specifically for the patient’s anatomy. 

The implant was made of PEKK (polyether ketone ketone), a high-performance carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which was chosen as it combines strength with flexibility in a way that closely resembles natural bone, according to the Head of Orthopedic Oncology at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, Dr. Israel Weiss. 

Weiss explained that the flexibility is particularly important for reconstructing a part of the body that constantly moves while breathing. Additionally, the material also allows surrounding tissue to gradually integrate with the implant over time. 

The surgery took about two hours, during which the surgeons removed the diseased bone and replaced it with the custom-designed implant through a discreet incision beneath the breasts designed to minimize visible scarring and improve the cosmetic outcome. 

Hadas has since been discharged and is recovering well at home. 

“Rare cases require creative solutions. The combination of advanced 3D-printing technology and close collaboration between multiple surgical specialties allowed us to offer this patient a solution that simply wasn’t available only a few years ago.” Peysakhovich said. 

This post was originally published on here.