July 12, 2017
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – 3D printing is creating new medical breakthroughs and exciting ways to help patients needing complex back surgeries. In a first in the San Diego market, Tri-City Medical Center Orthopedics and Spine surgeon, Dr. Payam Moazzaz, recently performed a spinal corpectomy using an innovative 3D-printed device on a patient.
The surgery was performed June 23 on a patient affected by a tumor in his neck. It had had weakened the surrounding bone and ultimately caused a portion of his vertebrae to fracture putting painful pressure on the spinal cord. After two nights in the hospital, the patient was able to return home June 24 and is doing very well.
A corpectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing all or part of the vertebral body, usually as a way to decompress the spinal cord and nerves. Corpectomy is often performed in association with some form of discectomy.
The product used to perform the procedure at Tri-City Medical Center is called the CAPRI Small 3D Static Corpectomy System, the first of its kind 3D-printed, FDA-cleared corpectomy cage. It is used for correcting complications from trauma or tumor in complex spine cases. The surgeon uses it to stabilize the spine where portions of the vertebrae have been removed due to trauma or a tumor. It supports the spine’s front-back alignment, or sagittal balance, as medical specialists refer to it.
The device’s porous structure and intentionally rough surface, made possible through 3D printing advances with titanium powder and a specialized laser, are designed to better enable the patient’s bone to integrate with the implant.
“This is an exciting surgical breakthrough that will improve options and outcomes for patients with complex spine pathologies,” said Dr. Moazzaz. “It is exciting to see breakthroughs in 3D printing become advances in medicine that then become real solutions for people in pain
For more information about the CAPRI Small 3D Static Corpectomy Cage System, visit www.K2M.com.
About Tri-City Medical Center
Tri-City Medical Center has served its community for over 50 years and is a 388-bed full service, acute-care hospital in Oceanside, Calif. with a primary care clinic and over 700 physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Its Gold Seal of Approval® from the Joint Commission recognizes its commitment to safe and effective patient care for the residents of the community it serves. It operates the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in North County as well as an Orthopedics & Spine, a Cardiovascular Health Institute and a Neuroscience Institute along with the Tri-City Wellness Center in Carlsbad, Calif., recognized as one of the best wellness centers in San Diego County. It also specializes in women’s health, robotic surgery, cancer and emergency care.
Click here to view the press release:
Tri-City Medical Center Performs First Spinal Surgery in San Diego with New 3D-printed System
