Vietnam hospitals use 3D technology for complex facial and ankle bone reconstruction

A 76‑year‑old man in Hanoi was diagnosed with an invasive squamous‑cell carcinoma that eroded most of the right facial bones, including the upper jaw, orbital rim and sinuses. Surgeons at the Central Tropical Disease Hospital removed the tumor and the affected bone, then used a patient‑specific 3D model to plan the operation. The procedure, lasting about four hours, reconstructed the defect with the patient’s own tissue and a shoulder bone graft, preserving function and appearance.

Separately, a 23‑year‑old man from Hai Phong suffering from a chondrosarcoma of the talus, which destroyed about 80 % of the ankle bone, was treated at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital. The medical team replaced the entire talus with a custom‑designed titanium implant produced by 3D printing. This approach avoided amputation or permanent ankle fusion, restoring full mobility to the patient’s legs.