Vinmec Performs Pediatric Total Femoral Replacement in Vietnam Using Personalized Implant

Vietnamese hospital network Vinmec has completed a Total Femoral Replacement surgery on a pediatric patient. Using a 3D printed personalized implant, the eight-year-old patient’s osteosarcoma was treated. The modular implant can reportedly be extended as the young child grows. Moreover, the implant and the procedure were completely done in Vietnam, showcasing how emerging countries are forging ahead in pioneering additive medical procedures.

The young patient had a bone cancer in his femur. The family was unhappy with traditional options including grafting and implantation, which all would probably end up sacrificing the leg. The boy’s mother, Xuan Hoang, carried him to and from school for over two years while exploring different medical options. She stated,

“Every day, my son would ask me: Will I ever walk again?” If I give up, I cannot give him an answer. My son deserves a proper childhood.”

Vinmec Healthcare System Director of the Orthopedic Council Professor Dr. Tran Trung Dun had an option: amputate the leg and produce a personalized implant that fits the young patient in two distinct procedures. Initially, the tumor would be removed, and a graft would be undertaken. A year later, the whole femur would be replaced with a 3D printed custom implant.

Surgeon Dr. Tran Duc Thanh said,

“We contacted foreign manufacturers but there was no suitable design. Self-manufacturing the equipment allows us to be proactive in treatment, it also paves the way for a new direction for Vietnamese medicine.”

While Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung stated,

“The 4-hour surgery was a success. Duc recovered quickly without any complications, now he is able to walk with the support of physical therapy. The surgery represented a breakthrough in complex techniques and the evidence for sound collaboration in the multidisciplinary medical team. Both the life and limb of the child were kept intact. We believe that modern medicine and compassion should go side by side. Duc is not just a special patient, his case represents a story of determination, maternal love, and the faith that the impossible can become possible if we never give up.”

The incredibly resolute and dedicated Xuan Hoang, meanwhile, said,

“When my son stood up, I was trembling with joy. He has been unable to walk for nearly two years. Now he did it. I just hope that he will be capable of riding a bike and playing football like his peers…”

The implant not only replaced the bone but also the joint. Based on CT and MRI scans, the personalized joint is one of a series of pioneering procedures undertaken by the network of nine hospitals. Previously, the company used personalized 3D printing for chest implants, and performed a complex femoral and pelvic replacement as well. Vinmec is owned by the massive Vingroup, which got its start through building an instant noodle empire in Ukraine. After entrepreneur Phạm Nhật Vượng sold the business to Nestlé, he relocated to the country of his birth to build a conglomerate focused on everything from supermarkets and cars to real estate and electric buses.

The well-capitalized company has a non-profit arm consisting of educational institutions and hospitals. The hospitals are targeting medical tourism, as well as providing healthcare locally. Vinmec clearly wants to be the Asian Cleveland Clinic (with which it has a partnership) or Mayo Clinic. A destination hospital for the most demanding, cutting-edge procedures could draw in people from the region and beyond. Clearly, this is a good business and would be wonderful for Vietnam as well. In terms of capital, institutional nous, and the ability to attract talent, the US hospitals are miles ahead of everyone else. But, a determined company could, across decades, at least provide an alternative in perhaps a surprising place. With a talented, driven, and hard-working workforce, Vietnam is ambitious, growing rapidly, and advancing technologically. Hospitals in Vietnam have leeway in undertaking novel personalized procedures. Personalized 3D printed implants would let them perform a lot of very new procedures that cannot be done elsewhere.

In pediatric oncology, there is a lot of trauma and surgery that cannot be met through standard implants. This is an area seeing broader attention of late. At the same time, more regularized and popular TKA, acetabular cups, and fusion cages could be a huge business. Vingroup could perhaps have the wherewithal to build its own implant company, or could just develop efficient procedures for spinal fusion cages, and knee and hip surgeries. The opportunities in Vietnam’s 100 million people would be considerable. South East Asia has around 600 million people. Coupling lower labor costs with cutting-edge technology, Vinmec could offer orthopedic procedures to many that can be world-beating in quality and cost. That could really build a new industry for the country and make it a leader in personalized medicine.