Team chirurgici in collaborazione

Il team chirurgico Britannico che nel 2017 ha operato Edward Evans rimuovendo il suo sterno in una complessa operazione si è rivolta alla CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ) e alla Anatomics (partnerships & collaborations per lo sviluppo di nuovi dispositivi medici) per la realizzazione della protesi in titanio. Prima dell'operazione il chirurgo cardiotoracico Ehab Bishay e il suo team si sono rivolti alla Anatomics per dei consigli sul caso clinico, per cui l'azienda li ha messi in contatto con il Team si Salamanca, dove si era svolto nel 2015 l'impianto di una protesi molto simile. E' stata così possibile una collaborazione internazionale.

Ecco la testimonianza di Ehab Bishay:

We approached Anatomics initially, who put us into touch with the team from Salamanca to learn from their experience. It was a real multinational collaboration between surgical units as well as industry using the latest technology,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Ehab Bishay, who had heard of the titanium sternum 3D printed and successfully implanted in 2015. “Although cement is tried and tested we believe that custom built 3D printed titanium implants may have certain advantages which we are looking to show. Titanium is more resistant to infection, lightweight, tough, and since it exactly replicates the defect, it means that the operative time is reduced as it slots in. It should also offer a better cosmetic result.”

He continued, “…we made a number of refinements to the original implant used by the group in Spain. They had used a synthetic mesh behind the implant in the first operation, to reduce the chance of the lungs herniating between the titanium rods that replicated the ribs. Unfortunately that mesh became infected and they had to remove it during a second operation. Instead we asked Anatomics to coat these rods with porous polyethylene to add bulk so we did not have to use a mesh. This seemed to have worked with no signs of infection in Edward’s implant.”

Il chirurgo Ehab Bishay e il paziente Edward Evans