Cardiothoracic Applications of 3-dimensional Printing

Abstract

Summary Medical 3D printing is emerging as a clinically relevant imaging tool in directing preoperative and intraoperative planning in many surgical specialties and will therefore likely lead to interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers, radiologists, and surgeons. Data from standard imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, echocardiography and rotational angiography can be used to fabricate life-sized models of human anatomy and pathology, as well as patient-specific implants and surgical guides. Cardiovascular 3D printed models can improve diagnosis and allow for advanced pre-operative planning. The majority of applications reported involve congenital heart diseases, valvular and great vessels pathologies. Printed models are suitable for planning both surgical and minimally invasive procedures. Added value has been reported toward improving outcomes, minimizing peri-operative risk, and developing new procedures such as transcatheter mitral valve replacements. Similarly, thoracic surgeons are using 3D printing to assess invasion of vital structures by tumors and to assist in diagnosis and treatment of upper and lower airway diseases. Anatomic models enable surgeons to assimilate information more quickly than image review, choose the optimal surgical approach, and achieve surgery in a shorter time. Patient-specific 3D-printed implants are beginning to appear and may have significant impact on cosmetic and life-saving procedures in the future. In summary, cardiothoracic 3D printing is rapidly evolving and may be a potential game-changer for surgeons. The imager who is equipped with the tools to apply this new imaging science to cardiothoracic care is thus ideally positioned to innovate in this new emerging imaging modality.

Clinical applications of three‐dimensional printing in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery: A systematic review

“…Medical three‐dimensional (3D) printing—the fabrication of hand‐held models from medical images—has become an integral part of medical practice, being rapidly incorporated into academic curricula, residency training, and delivery of healthcare . 3D‐printed models can mimic all shapes and forms necessary in real patient anatomies, serving to improve patient care, surgical outcomes, and resident education.…”

Utility and reproducibility of 3‐dimensional printed models in pre‐operative planning of complex thoracic tumors

“…Second, a specialized computer algorithm translates the tissues segmented by the radiologist into a set of surfaces that enclose the 3D volume occupied by each tissue. These surface models (stored in so‐called stereolithography or STL files) can be directly printed with a variety of 3D printers using various materials ranging from plastics to metals . Clinical application of 3D printing technology is hindered by the lack of expertise on the part of the radiologists and the general lack of interdisciplinary collaboration.…”

“…These surface models (stored in so-called stereolithography or STL files) can be directly printed with a variety of 3D printers using various materials ranging from plastics to metals. 1,3 Clinical application of 3D printing technology is hindered by the lack of expertise on the part of the radiologists and the general lack of interdisciplinary collaboration. As a collaborative effort, our institution has established a clinical 3D printing service using a desktop stereolithography printer and standard 3D radiology workstation software that caters to multiple surgical specialties on an as-needed basis.…”

3D Printing for Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Modeling Based on Transesophageal Echocardiography: A Step Forward in Closure with LAA Devices

“…Potential cardiac applications are the comprehensive appraisal of complex congenital anomalies for dedicated surgical corrections as well as the detailed description of the aortic valve root anatomy for transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures and left atrial appendage (LAA) anatomy for closure device applications [1]. …”