Muscat – Doctors at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) have successfully treated a rare wrist deformity using 3D printing and advanced surgical planning in what officials described as the first procedure of its kind in the Middle East.

The operation was performed by a specialist team at the University Medical City on a patient with Madelung’s wrist deformity, a rare condition that affects the growth, shape and function of the bones in the wrist.

The complexity of the condition requires precise planning to determine how the bones should be corrected while limiting the risk of complications.

Doctors used advanced medical imaging to build a three-dimensional model of the patient’s wrist. The model was then used to produce customised surgical guides designed specifically for the operation.

The approach allowed the surgical team to plan the correction with greater precision and helped improve the safety of the procedure, while reducing operating time and the potential for complications.

The patient was discharged from hospital on the same day following the operation.

The procedure was carried out by Dr Ahmed Al Ghaithi, Dr Nawaf Al Muqimi, Dr Muath Shamo and Dr Asma Al Rasbi.

The use of patient-specific 3D models and surgical guides represents an expanding application of additive manufacturing in complex surgery, allowing doctors to translate medical imaging into physical tools tailored to an individual patient’s anatomy.

The University Medical City said the achievement reflects its efforts to introduce advanced medical technologies, develop specialised services and build national expertise while linking clinical practice with innovation.