A south African surgeon who goes by name professor Mashudu Tshifularo made a history in 2019 by performing a surgery to cure deafness. They have been other names of doctors performing various successful surgeries but Professor Tshifularo’s achievement us not talked about enough.
Based in South Africa, Tshifularo used innovative 3D technology to print the bones that make up the middle ear (hammer, anvil, stirrup, and the ossicles) and successfully implanted the model into a deaf patient and it successful and the patient is said to have been able to hear till now.
“By replacing only the ossicles that aren’t functioning properly, the procedure carries significantly less risk than known prostheses and their associated surgical procedures. We will use titanium for this procedure, which is biocompatible. We use an endoscope to do the replacement, so the transplant is expected to be quick, with minimal scarring,” Tshifularo said, according to Good Things Guy.
Tshifularo, originally from Venda in Limpopo is the Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pretoria and is considered the top Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist in the country. Under his leadership, the department has launched the Steve Biko Roberts Kerr Cochlear Implants Project which has restored hearing to many economically challenged individuals in the country.
Tshifularo’s 3D-printed middle-ear replacement surgery isn’t the first historical accomplishment of his medical career. In 2008, he made history by developing a surgical technique that allowed for a bloodless endoscope-assisted tonsillectomy, an operation that is considered to be the world’s first.
As South Africa’s first Black ENT specialist, Tshifularo has spent his time at the University of Pretoria, training more Black South African ENT specialists than any other institution in the country.
According to Good Things Guy, Tshifularo lives by the motto “innovate or perish,” and his career first proves his dedication to the belief.
“Our future is in innovation towards excellent, internationally recognized solutions. We aim to improve safety and efficiency and to reduce costs in our communities as the field of ENT progresses,” Tshifularo told Good Things, Guy.
Take time and read more about Professor Tshifularo of South African descent making Africa proud with his 3D innovative implant which cured a deaf person in 2019 and has further cured more patient suffering of deafness.