King Faisal hospital resects tumor using 3D printing tech

The patient walked immediately after 3D-guided femur surgery, the hospital said.

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) removed a tumor from a patient's proximal femur using 3D-printing technology, allowing the patient to walk immediately after surgery.

The patient’s tumor extended from the proximal femur to their left hip joint.

The patient-specific, 3D-printed cutting guides enabled the surgical team to excise the tumor completely with safe margins whilst preserving the limb, KFSHRC said.

The operation was planned using high-resolution imaging to design custom guides that minimised bone loss.

Following tumor resection, an advanced prosthetic hip joint was implanted into the patient, enabling their rapid restoration of mobility.

KFSHRC uses 3D printing by its orthopedic oncology, radiology, medical oncology, pathology, and rehabilitation medicine teams, it said.