What began as a life-altering diagnosis for a 15-year-old boy has become a moment of medical progress, after a rare procedure saved both his leg and his future.
Tshwane, South Africa (19 April 2026) – A rugby-loving teenager was facing the unthinkable… losing part of his leg to cancer. Instead, he became part of a breakthrough that could change how we treat it.
In a remarkable first for South Africa, a 15-year-old diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma has had his leg saved through an advanced surgical technique that is rarely performed anywhere in the world. The procedure, carried out at Netcare Unitas Hospital in Tshwane, has preserved his limb while opening new possibilities for patients facing similar diagnoses.
Ewing’s sarcoma is an aggressive bone cancer that most often affects children and teenagers, and when it develops in long bones like the femur, treatment can be life-altering. In many cases, the cancerous section of bone is removed and replaced with a prosthesis, or the patient’s own bone is treated with radiation before being reimplanted. Both options come with long-term limitations, especially for a young athlete whose life revolves around movement, strength and contact sport.
“When I explained that conventional surgery meant no more contact sports, I saw the devastation in his eyes… and in his father’s. That’s when I knew we had to try something different,” recalls orthopaedic surgeon Dr Jaco Viljoen.
That decision led to a bold and highly specialised approach that Dr Viljoen had been preparing for over a decade.
“I’d been prepared for this exact scenario for ten years. When I mentioned there might be another way, a chance he could play sport again, their faces lit up,” he says.
During the four-and-a-half-hour operation, Dr Viljoen and his multidisciplinary team removed a 24-centimetre section of the teenager’s femur where the tumour had developed. Instead of replacing the bone, they treated it using a technique pioneered in Japan, immersing it in liquid nitrogen at -179°C to destroy the cancer cells while preserving the bone’s natural structure.
Once treated, the same bone was carefully reimplanted and secured in place, marking the first time this technique has been successfully performed in South Africa.
“This kind of complex surgery is only possible with an exceptional team. Every person in that operating theatre played a crucial role in giving this young man his future back,” Dr Viljoen explains.
The early results have been encouraging. Just a day after surgery, the teenager was alert, showing good neurovascular function in the affected leg, and even managed a few assisted steps with his physiotherapist.
“We’ve effectively preserved his bone and hip joint. His own bone will regenerate and integrate with the surrounding tissue. For a young person, that’s game-changing, as his leg can continue to develop normally,” says Dr Viljoen.
By avoiding a full prosthetic replacement or radiation-treated bone, the procedure offers something far more powerful than physical recovery. It gives this young patient the possibility of returning to the sports he loves, of running back onto a field and of continuing life with a sense of normality that once felt out of reach.
“This technique marks a significant departure from standard treatment,” Dr Viljoen adds, noting that traditional approaches can limit long-term mobility and often require further intervention.
For Dr Erich Bock, managing director of Netcare’s hospital division, the impact of the procedure goes far beyond a single case.
“Dr Viljoen and his colleagues have added another chapter to South Africa’s legacy of medical excellence. But, this is about more than innovation… it’s proof that world-class orthopaedic care happens right here at home, offering hope to patients facing life-altering conditions such as Ewing’s sarcoma,” he says.
“This is what sets exceptional healthcare apart. Seeing the whole person, not just the disease. Dr Viljoen and his team haven’t just treated cancer, they’ve preserved a young man’s dreams.”
For this young rugby player, the fight isn’t over… but the future looks very different now, filled with possibility, movement and the very real chance of playing the game he loves again.
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