Though ventricular septal defects are fairly common and surgically treated, it’s best to plan the approach ahead of time. Since it’s usually done once the patient is opened and on bypass, there’s critical time wasted analyzing the anatomy and deciding on a plan. Richard Kim, a cardiac surgeon at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) , faced with a patient that had an unusual defect in the heart decided to print a 3D model of the actual heart produced from an MRI of the organ.

The replica allowed Dr. Kim to work out the best approach to take and reduce the time the patient was under anesthesia. More importantly, the new technique seems to have prevented other surgeries that may have had to be performed if not for the proactive planning. We’re happy to report that Esther, the baby patient, has recovered and is moving on with a normal life.

source:researchlablog