Surgeons were just able to successfully implant a 3D-printed rib into a hospital patient for the very first time.

Performed at Tokuda Hospital in Bulgaria, the procedure used an implant that was crafted out of an FDA-approved material called Nylon 680. This material costs just $114, which makes it a great deal cheaper than titanium. 3DGence, the company behind the 3D-printer that was used for the procedure, said that the material is unusual because it can withstand the temperatures that are needed for sterilization and it functions much more similarly to an actual rib than titanium implants.

“The patient, Ivaylo Josifov, was diagnosed with a rib deformation (and) the doctors were concerned that the deformity may progress, and decided to replace the rib with an implant,” said Mateusz Sidorowicz, director of marketing at 3DGence.

“Our 3D printers ensure high 3D dimensional accuracy which was crucial in this particular medical procedure,” added Filip Turzyński, Quality Development Manager at 3DGence. “Individually designed rib model allowed for a very accurate implementation of the new element in place of the removed bone. Replacing the missing rib with a 3D printed segment with the same shape, curve, width, and thickness was possible with the use of 3DGence 3D printer.”

Surgeons added that the 35 year-old patient was in “perfect health” after the procedure. They are already planning on performing more surgeries with the 3D-printed “bones,” including three ribs along with a sternum.

“This is a new era in thoracic wall reconstruction for patients with tumors,” said Professor Tzvetan Minchev, Head of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at the hospital. “The material used has proven tissue compatibility and the accuracy of reproduction allows for large chest wall resections …with individually designed implants.”