Australian Centre for Complex Integrated Surgical Solutions (ACCISS) launched 

On Friday, 18 October we celebrated the launch of Australian Centre for Complex Integrated Surgical Solutions (ACCISS), a collaboration between the Translational Research Institute, Metro South Health, Queensland Children’s Health Services, the Queensland University of Technology and industry partners.

ACCISS offers hope that difficult clinical problems can be solved. This innovative approach brings together the diverse range of expertise needed to find a solution which may incorporate engineering, bioinformatics, software design, surgery and manufacturing capability and infrastructure to create a virtual surgical planning sphere, which allows surgeons to perform steps of the procedure before the patient is on the table.

Under the leadership of Dr Wagels, ACCISS was established after the success of his world-first surgery in which Dr Wagels implanted Reuben Lichter with a 3D printed shinbone to reconstruct his leg after Reuben developed a bone infection that destroyed 36 centimetres of his right tibia in 2017. The infection would normally result in an above-the-knee amputation instead, he undertook experimental world-first surgery to implant a 3D-printed bone into his right leg. Two years on from the surgery, Mr Lichter is still defying the odds and has made a remarkable recovery and can now finally walk again.

Mr Lichter said the journey has been a long and painful, but worth it now he can finally walk again.

"It's been better for the long-run, to hang in there and do the hard yards and save my leg than to amputate,” Mr Lichter said.

Dr Wagels said this surgical success could lead to a reduction in amputations for particular conditions and that Mr Lichter's recovery is a huge win for his ongoing independence but also the value of advancing clinical trials.

"I hadn't really appreciated how far-reaching what we've achieved is … hopefully this is something we can offer patients all around the world, not just in Queensland," he said.

A clinical trial program will begin next year, please get in touch with the team to discuss the different possibilities ACCISS can offer at [email protected]

To read the full interview with both Dr Wagels and Mr Lichter, please see here.