After 10 failed attempts, Bihar student walks again with 3D-printed implant surgery

New Delhi: A 28-year-old student from Bihar, who almost lost hope of walking normally after a devastating road accident and 10 failed surgeries, has regained mobility after doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital used a patient-specific 3D-printed hip implant in a rare and highly complex reconstruction surgery.

Doctors said this is the first time the hospital has used a customised 3D-printed acetabular implant in a patient with chronic infection and massive hip bone loss after multiple surgeries.

The patient, from Lalganj near Patna, was pursuing graduation in English and aspired to become a college faculty member in Hajipur when he met with a severe road accident in June 2024 near his college.

Over the next nearly two years, he underwent 10 surgeries, including fracture fixation procedures, implant removals and repeated infection-cleaning operations. Despite prolonged antibiotic treatment, he continued to suffer from chronic infection, persistent pus discharge and extensive destruction of the hip joint, making reconstruction extremely difficult.

Doctors said the young man was left with severe pain, instability and major bone loss around the hip, with conventional implants unlikely to work because of the damaged anatomy.

A multidisciplinary team led by Dr Nipun Rana, consultant, joint replacement, planned the surgery in stages. Doctors first identified the infection using an advanced molecular diagnostic test called the BioFire Joint Infection Panel, which detects multiple pathogens from a single sample through genetic testing.

After controlling the infection through targeted antibiotics and surgical cleaning, doctors created a CT-based 3D reconstruction of the pelvis and designed a customised titanium implant specifically matching the patient’s anatomy.

The surgery, which was the patient’s 11th operation, lasted nearly six hours and involved revision total hip replacement using the patient-specific implant.

Doctors said the customised implant allowed precise reconstruction of the damaged hip socket, accurate screw placement and restoration of joint stability in an area where standard implants often fail because of severe bone loss and deformity.

Within a week of surgery, the patient showed early recovery with improved mobility and no active signs of infection. Doctors said the hip joint is currently stable and the persistent sinus discharge has completely resolved.

“In complex cases like this, success lies not in rushing to replace the joint but in controlling the infection first and planning reconstruction meticulously,” said Dr Nipun Rana.

He said patient-specific implants are helping surgeons rebuild bone defects that conventional methods cannot adequately address.