---
title: "Clalit-Beilinson Hospital reconstructs a patient’s chest wall with a 3D printed implant"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/clalit-beilinson-hospital-reconstructs-a-patients-chest-wall-with-a-3d-printed-implant/
date: 2026-08-03
modified: 2026-08-03
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "Surgeons at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital in Israel have removed a patient's sternum and portions of her ribs before reconstructing her chest wall with a custom 3D printed implant, marking the first..."
categories:
  - "Medical AM"
  - "Personalized Medicine"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/3D-sternum-and-ribs-implant-01-640x301.jpg
word_count: 348
---

# Clalit-Beilinson Hospital reconstructs a patient’s chest wall with a 3D printed implant

Surgeons at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital in Israel have removed a patient's sternum and portions of her ribs before reconstructing her chest wall with a [custom 3D printed implant](https://www.voxelmatters.com/hadassah-doctors-rebuild-and-lengthen-leg-using-3d-printed-implants/), marking the first time a full 3D printed chest cage has been implanted for chest wall reconstruction in the country.

The patient, a woman in her twenties, underwent the surgery after doctors found a tumor eroding her sternum. The growth initially appeared to be a benign cartilage tumor, but extensive testing revealed it to be a BRAF-altered mesenchymal tumor, an exceptionally rare sarcoma reported in about 20 cases worldwide, according to the medical literature.

## Team chose a PEKK implant over traditional materials

The surgical team rejected synthetic mesh, titanium plates and bone cement in favor of a fully customized 3D printed chest implant designed to the patient's anatomy. 

![Clalit-Beilinson Hospital reconstructs a patient](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/3D-sternum-and-ribs-implant-02-340x312.jpg)

[The implant was made of PEKK, or polyetherketoneketone, a high-performance carbon fiber-reinforced polymer chosen for its combination of strength and flexibility](https://www.voxelmatters.com/fda-clears-vy-spines-3d-printed-lumivy-osteovy-pekk-lumbar-ibf/) in a way that closely resembles natural bone, said Dr. Israel Weiss, Head of Orthopedic Oncology at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital. 

Weiss said that flexibility mattered for a body part that moves constantly during breathing, and that the material allows surrounding tissue to gradually integrate with the implant over time.

Dr. Yury Peysakhovich, Head of Thoracic Surgery at Clalit-Beilinson Hospital, described the sternum as “essentially the anchor of the entire chest”.

“If reconstruction is not precise, both respiratory mechanics and protection of the heart and lungs can be compromised,” he said. “Every breath, cough, or physical movement places significant stress on this area, making it one of the most complex reconstructions in thoracic surgery.”

The operation took about two hours, during which surgeons removed the diseased bone and replaced it with the custom-designed implant through an incision beneath the breasts intended to minimize visible scarring. The patient has since been discharged and is recovering at home.

“Rare cases require creative solutions,” said Peysakhovich. “[The combination of advanced 3D printing technology and close collaboration](https://www.voxelmatters.com/bellaseno-starts-clinical-trials-of-resorbable-breast-and-chest-implants/) between multiple surgical specialties allowed us to offer this patient a solution that simply wasn't available only a few years ago.”