3D printing: A lifeline for bone cancer patients

Bone cancer, especially in complex locations like the pelvis or femur, has long meant one grim outcome: limb removal. While this choice may save a life, it leaves a deep and lifelong wound - physically and emotionally.

In recent years, the global medical community has introduced patient-specific metal implants to reconstruct lost bone structures. However, their exorbitant costs have made them inaccessible to most patients. In Vietnam, bone reconstruction remained nearly impossible until the advent of 3D printing.

At Vinmec, Professor Tran Trung Dung and his team have turned this impossibility into reality. Through a convergence of orthopedic surgery, biomedical technology, and simulation engineering, they have mastered the use of personalized 3D-printed implants for some of the most complex bone cancer cases. Using CT and MRI scans, they create detailed 3D bone models and design implants that perfectly fit each patient’s anatomy.

In one case, a patient diagnosed with pelvic bone cancer faced a future of permanent disability. The medical team collected imaging data, simulated the damaged bone structure, and designed an implant to replace the entire affected area. The surgery - removing the tumor, reconstructing, and implanting the 3D-printed part - was a success. Two years later, the patient walks, moves well, and has had no major complications.

Another patient had nearly the entire femur removed due to cancer. Vinmec rebuilt the femur with a 3D-printed model, restoring the structural support of the leg and long-term mobility. Cases that once left doctors helpless now stand as milestones in Vietnam’s medical advancement.

The key to this success lies in the “on-site design lab” model. A 3D printing lab at VinUni allows doctors and engineers to collaborate within the hospital setting. While doctors bring surgical and anatomical insight, engineers contribute expertise in materials, structure, and simulation. This real-time coordination results in implants with exceptional precision, tailored for optimal surgical integration.

This interdisciplinary model places Vietnam closer to the world’s top medical centers - and more importantly, gives patients the chance to heal not with loss, but with restoration.

Why does the world pay $60,000 while Vietnam can still deliver?

Despite its promise, 3D printing in medicine faces one major barrier: cost. In the U.S. and Europe, a 3D-printed implant for bone reconstruction can cost between $30,000 and $60,000 - well beyond the means of most patients, even those with commercial insurance.

In Vietnam, the challenge is greater. Patients often depend entirely on charitable funding, as the national health insurance system currently lacks a legal framework to reimburse 3D-printed implants.

How then is Vietnam able to offer these life-changing surgeries at a fraction of the cost? According to Professor Tran Trung Dung, the cost of 3D implants depends on three factors: design time, production scale, and technological readiness. Vietnam is innovating on all three fronts.

First, AI has drastically reduced design time. What used to take two to seven days for an engineer now takes under two hours - and sometimes just one for simpler designs. Shorter design time also means lower labor costs, which are among the highest in the production chain.

Second, Vinmec is launching a cross-hospital network to design and print multiple implants in a single batch. Since 3D printing has fixed costs for materials, machine wear, and operation - regardless of whether one or 20 implants are made - printing in bulk significantly reduces the unit cost.

Third, in-house design labs within hospitals improve efficiency and cut operational costs. Doctors and engineers can complete the entire design–simulation–testing process without relying on costly foreign services. This means a 3D implant in Vietnam can be produced at a fraction of the cost of its European equivalent.

Moreover, international partnerships with Japan and South Korea enable Vinmec to access cutting-edge technology, standardize processes, and train specialized engineers. Over time, this will form a sustainable, high-quality 3D design ecosystem at an affordable price.

Still, for this solution to scale, Professor Dung emphasizes the urgent need for a legal framework. If health insurance could cover part or all of the 3D implant costs, more patients could access this technology without relying solely on charitable funds. This is crucial if 3D printing is to move from being a rare lifeline to becoming a new standard in bone cancer treatment.

Mastering the technology and expanding across the region

By mastering the full chain of 3D printing - from diagnostics, simulation, and design to manufacturing and surgery - Vietnam is cementing its place on the regional map of medical innovation. This technology not only serves local patients but has the potential to export both knowledge and medical products.

Under its new strategy, Vinmec plans to expand its hospital network across Southeast Asia. This is more than a market move - it’s a chance to bring 3D-printed implants to regional patients who need them most, in areas where international healthcare is still prohibitively expensive.

Beyond bone cancer, 3D medical printing can also serve trauma-induced bone loss, congenital deformities, complex joint replacements, and even produce anatomical models for surgical planning and training. All of this moves Vietnamese healthcare closer to international standards - and strengthens Vietnam’s position on the global biomedical technology map.

Thai Khang