A South African surgeon reached a groundbreaking medical milestone by successfully curing deafness using 3D-printed bones for reconstructive middle-ear implants. The landmark surgery is the world’s first.

“By replacing only the ossicles (three bones in either middle ear) that aren’t functioning properly, the procedure carries significantly less risk than known prostheses and their associated surgical procedures,” explains Mashudu Tshifularo. “The technique could be the cure for hearing defects irrespective of the patient’s age.”

Pioneering surgeon Tshifularo performed the surgery on March 13, 2019, at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital on a 35-year-old patient who had hearing loss due to a car accident. For the first time, 3D technology was used to recreate the bones of the inner ear – the hammer, the anvil, the stirrup, and the ossicles – and replacing the damaged ones only took an hour and a half through endoscopy. Dr Tshifularo holds a PhD in conductive hearing loss and a second PhD in 3D printing in medicine, thus demonstrating its significant potential in the industry.