A NEW PARADIGM: THE HOSPITAL AS SELF-SUFFICIENT MEDICAL ECOSYSTEM

Hospitals traditionally diagnose, treat and save lives. As technology increasingly shapes the boundaries of modern medicine, however, they now have an opportunity to evolve into hubs of innovation and production, as well.

The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) has embraced this opportunity. Alongside its inpatient care and surgery, it has established a cutting-edge in-house facility that manufactures personalized implants using advanced 3D printing — effectively transforming the hospital into a self-sustaining medical ecosystem.

"We used to rely on external providers for implants and customized surgical tools," says Dr. Shlomo (Solomon) Dadia, orthopedic oncologist and founding director of the Levin Center for Surgical Innovation and 3D Printing. "Today, in the Levin Center's innovative lab, we have a new model: the hospital as its own supplier. Instead of waiting for shipments from overseas, we produce precise, patient-specific implants for bone and soft tissue reconstruction right here, on-site."

This is far more than a technical or logistical upgrade, he explains. It marks a fundamental shift in medical care in Israel — a hospital transitioning from consumer to independent manufacturer, equipped to give real-time responses to complex surgical needs. The unique solutions it designs and the customized implants it prints, precisely replicate the patient's individual bone and soft tissue structures, and result in better surgical outcomes and faster recovery.

An End to One-Size-Fits-All
The Levin Center was established eight years ago with a skilled interdisciplinary team of materials scientists, biomedical engineers, imaging experts, surgical designers, technicians and surgeons from different specialties. They have taken it from a 3D printing lab to a vital hub of personalized surgery, enhancing precision across many surgical disciplines — from orthopedics, orthopedic oncology, neurosurgery and ENT to oral and maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery and more.

Each of its implants is developed under a structured regulatory framework that encompasses the entire production pipeline. Once the customized implant is printed, it is labeled, assigned a QR code, sterilized and delivered to the operating room. Gone are the days of pulling generic implants off the shelf or relying on last-minute deliveries from company reps. At Ichilov, it is the production process that is now 'off the shelf,' primed to create individualized implants on demand.

"This initiative disrupts the monopoly of traditional medical device companies," says Dr. Dadia. "By developing these capabilities internally, we've brought surgeons and medical teams into every stage, from diagnosis and imaging to design, modeling and production, ensuring the optimal solution for every patient."

Direct involvement of surgeons in the design and manufacture of implants represents a revolution in surgical care. Cranial bone reconstruction is a clear example. The Center's custom-printed implants offer unmatched accuracy and fit, a precision which significantly improves surgical outcomes, recovery and rehabilitation.

Advantages of Customized In-Hospital Medical Manufacturing
"In-hospital medical manufacture has lowered treatment costs by as much as 50 to 60 percent," notes Dr. Dadia. "It has removed the entire procurement processes and the international shipping delays. With every step in-house, from diagnosis to design, manufacturing to implantation, we have greater flexibility, and see improved implant performance, shorter anesthesia and hospital stays, and higher surgeon satisfaction.

From a rehabilitation perspective, patients return more rapidly to physical function, positively impacting their quality of life. The collaboration between clinical and technology teams creates a powerful synergy that drives better medical outcomes. Most importantly, the Medical Center has transitioned from a technology consumer to a technology developer and producer, further solidifying its leadership in modern healthcare.

Materials, Methods and the Vision Ahead
Ichilov prints its implants from advanced materials, among them titanium, polymers, biologics and ceramics. Titanium is mostly used for reconstructing limbs affected by bone tumors or trauma; the strong, light-weight metal serves as a scaffold, replacing excised bone and supporting new tissue growth. Polymer implants (usually PEEK) are used in cranial, facial, oral and jaw surgeries, and ceramics are primarily applied in facial surgeries, especially for eye sockets.

The future is as promising as the present, believe Dr. Dadia and his team — if not more so. As part of Ichilov's I-NEXT SURGICAL innovation initiative, they are planning to make the Levin Center a full-fledged surgical R&D hub, integrating research, application and production of 3D-printed implants from a broader range of materials.

"Our vision is to integrate an expanded range of printable materials with direct clinical applications," says Dr. Dadia. "One idea we're exploring is applying the techniques we've developed for titanium and PEEK polymers to medical-grade silicone for reconstructing congenital defects and post-trauma asymmetries. We're also examining biodegradable implants to use in partial mastectomies, where they'd function as temporary scaffolds until the patient's natural tissue grows back. Then they'd dissolve to leave behind a naturally shaped breast. The same concept could be applied to other body asymmetries.

"This is not simply treating patients," he emphasizes. "It's about creating, developing and manufacturing medical solutions within the hospital itself — an entirely new kind of medicine."

In collaboration with Ichilov Hospital