The patient, a middle-aged woman, underwent surgery for left-sided breast cancer 10 years ago. However, the tumor recurred after the initial surgery, resulting in two additional surgical treatments. Over the past 2 months, the patient began experiencing discomfort again in her left chest wall. Medical examinations revealed a second recurrence of the tumor, which was found to be rapidly growing.
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Chest Wall Tumor Resection and Chest wal...
Medical History
Preoperative Examination
The tumor has invaded the soft tissues of the chest wall, infiltrating into the bone structure and even the pericardium. This aggressive spread has compromised multiple ribs, the costal cartilage, and parts of the sternum on the left chest wall. The patient’s condition is serious.
Surgical Overview
The surgery began with the complete resection of the tumor, followed by the reconstruction of the chest wall defect using digital materials. The surgery was completed after 2 hours and achieved satisfactory results.
Related Photos
Before the surgery, the patient's chest wall showed a tumor located on the left side, with a localized protrusion near the midclavicular line and accompanied by a large palpable mass
The CT scan shows the location of the chest wall tumor, which impacts the bone structure of the chest wall and the pericardium
The 3D image shows the location of the chest wall tumor, involving multiple ribs, costal cartilage, and the lower chest wall
The 3D image precisely reveals the location and details of the lesion
The 3D image illustrates the positional relationship between the tumor, heart, and mediastinum
The area of tumor resection simulated by computer
Digital materials are processed based on the simulated surgery. The precisely designed fixation points(indicated by the black arrows) greatly facilitate the operation
After the tumor resection, the digital material perfectly fit the defect
The surgery was completed
Learn More
Next-Generation Repair Materials—Exploring the Use of Digital Materials in Chest Wall Reconstruction Surgery
Surgery for tumors in the chest wall is generally more complex than surgeries for tumors located elsewhere. In such operations, not only is the resection of the tumor required, but the reconstruction of the bone structure of the chest wall is also necessary. Without this reconstruction, the resulting bone defect could adversely affect both the patient's normal physiological functions and the appearance of the chest wall.
Chest wall reconstruction has always been a highly challenging task, primarily due to the limitations of repair materials. Although various materials are available for clinical use, each comes with significant drawbacks, which have greatly restricted the advancement of chest wall reconstruction surgery.
To seek more optimal repair material, the Institute of Chest Wall Surgery (ICWS) has pioneered the concept of digital material. This next-generation repair material is manufactured under direct digital control throughout all processing stages. The production process is as follows:
1. Obtain patient’s lesion data; 2. Create digital images of the lesion; 3. Simulate the extent of the lesion resection with computer; 4. Simulate the specific area for surgical repair using computer; 5. Determine the precise shape of the material using computer; 6. Manufacture the material using specialized techniques.
Digital material offers a high degree of personalization and precision, as it is designed and produced strictly based on patient-specific lesion data. Additionally, the specialized manufacturing techniques allow for extremely fine detail in the operational areas of the digital materials, making them easier to handle during surgery and significantly reducing the complexity of the procedure.
