VOV.VN – A 9-year-old child with osteosarcoma has just become the first patient in Vietnam to undergo a limb-sparing surgery using a adjustable joint. This technique enables patients and their families to avoid the trauma from painful and expensive major amputations or leg lengthening surgeries.
According to Prof. MD. Tran Trung Dung – Director of Vinmec Center for Orthopedic Trauma and Sports Medicine, the motivation behind the medical team’s determination to perform this “revolutionary” surgery is the empathy with the patient at such a young age.
“We have performed hundreds of joint replacement surgery for osteosarcoma patients, but this is a special case because of her young age. We research the most aggressive treatment plan to assure her of both health condition and quality of life after treatment. With the limb-sparing surgery using the adjustable joint, she can easily resume normal activities at moderate level such as cycling and swimming once recovered, “said Prof. MD. Tran Trung Dung.
At Vinmec Times City International Hospital, Pediatric patient Truc L. was diagnosed with cancer at the lower end of the left femur. Throughout the close monitoring and consultation for a treatment plan, the team of doctors from the Department of Osteosarcoma and Soft Tissue Surgery (Northern Center for Orthopedic Trauma and Sports Medicine – Vinmec Times City) decided to perform limb-sparing surgery for the pediatric patient. In order to ensure a radical surgery on the turmor, doctors have to separate the tumor with a large cut on the femur of 16cm long and then replace it with artificial bone.
In addition to the complexity during the performing of the limb-sparing surgery techniques, doctors also face challenges of the limb length discrepancy post-surgery due to the patient’s strong bone growth in her young age. With conventional joint replacement method, the artificial bone do not grow like the natural human bone, leading to the difference in the length of the leg of up to 5-7cm when the patient reaches adulthood, negatively affecting limb function as well as the aesthetics. In order to solve this challenge, for the first time in Vietnam, doctors decided to use the adjustable joint system in this limb-sparing surgery to treat osteosarcoma.
The model is a personalized joint with adjustable length. In the past, as patients wanted to lengthen their legs after joint replacement surgery, they would have to undergo major bone grafts implant again. By using the adjustable joint, as the child grows taller after 1 to 2 years and a length discrepancy develops between the treated leg and the other leg, the doctors will perform a minor surgery to increase the legnth of the adjustable joint to match with the natural growth of the counterpart joint by adjusting the screwers on the implanted joint. Pediatric patients no longer have to undergo painful and expensive surgery.
Truc L. is the youngest pediatric patient ever to have joint replacement surgery at Vinmec, as the joints on the market are not compatible with her bones. To solve this problem, doctors designed a personalized adjustable joint matching with the patient’s measurements and ordered the 3D printing for joint to be used in the surgery.
On the second afternoon post-surgery, the patient was able to walk with a walker, on the afternoon of the 3rd day, the patient was able to move on his own with crutches.
The limb-sparing surgery using the adjustable joint is a step forward in the treatment of osteosarcoma in Vietnam given the context of this disease’s risk in young people. The successful implementation of this technology allow patients and families to avoid the trauma from painful and expensive major amputations or leg lengthening surgeries.
The patient’s health condition is stable after major surgery
Second degree Specialist MD. Nguyen Tran Quang Sang – Head of the Department of Osteosarcoma and Soft tissue Surgery (Vinmec Times City Hospital) added, switching from amputation surgery to limb-sparing surgery in the treatment of osteosarcoma has become increasingly popular worldwide with evidence proving little difference in the rate of recurrence and metastasis between the two surgical methods.
“Especially, recently published studies show that the survival rate of the limb-sparing surgery group is much higher than the counterpart amputation group. Meanwhile, limb-sparing surgery enables functional, aesthetic and psychological benefits to patients and their families, “said MD. Sang.
It is known that in Vietnam, Vinmec is now able to successfully perform limb-sparing surgery in up to 80-90% of osteosarcoma cases, thanks to the various modern approach and technologies as in more advanced countries worldwide such as this adjustable joint replacement surgery in pediatric patients
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