Israeli surgeons use custom 3D-printed implant to remove tumor deemed inoperable

A 15-year-old boy whose pelvic cancer had been classified as inoperable underwent a 19-hour operation in Israel that removed half his pelvis and replaced it with a custom 3D-printed implant.

Mark was diagnosed with cancer for the second time at age 14, after overcoming cancer diagnosed when he was 2. The recurrence involved osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer in the pelvis, along with metastases in his lungs. Specialists in Russia, where he lived, considered the tumor inoperable because of its location and spread.

His mother brought him to Israel, where targeted chemotherapy led by Dr. Orli Michaeli cleared the lung metastases and reduced the size of the primary tumor. Surgeons from Clalit Schneider Children’s Medical Center and Clalit-Beilinson Hospital then planned the operation digitally for hundreds of hours.

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quantum leap in surgical oncology

The implant was designed to match Mark’s anatomy and restore mobility as well as remove the tumor. It uses an advanced polymer that allows bone to grow into the structure. Dr. Arie Greenberg called the custom implant a “quantum leap in surgical oncology.”

“This was one of the most complex and challenging cases we have ever encountered,” said Dr. Israel Weiss, head of the orthopedic oncology unit at the two hospitals. He said the teams used custom 3D design and advanced printing technology instead of accepting the original inoperable assessment. Mark is recovering at Clalit-Schneider Children’s Medical Center.

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This was one of the most complex and challenging cases we have ever encountered