3D Insights into the Smallest Hearts at Boston Children’s Hospital

In the world of pediatric cardiac surgery, complexity is the norm, and precision is paramount for the best possible patient outcomes. To achieve this precision, BCH’s team relies on interactive visualizations of minute anatomical details that go far beyond what 3D volume rendering can provide.

Since 2018, BCH’s Cardiovascular 3D Modeling and Simulation Program has made interactive 3D planning in Materialise Mimics a cornerstone of their personalized approach. There, the surgeons have worked side by side with in-house engineers to plan more than 1,400 congenital heart cases with highly accurate, patient-specific anatomical models.

Behind surgical precision is planning personalized to each patient. Digital models form the foundation of BCH’s surgical planning. They use these models to simulate each procedure, establishing exactly what will be needed and minimizing surprises in the OR.

One double outlet right ventricle case illustrates this approach well. Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon Dr. David Hoganson needed to use a patch to correct the patient’s ventricular septal defect — and absolute precision was a must. 

Rehearsing this surgery in a virtual environment beforehand helped BCH better prepare for surgery, supporting their pursuit of improving patient outcomes. Get all the details on how they designed the custom patch, virtually simulated the procedure, and achieved seamless planning workflows with Mimics in the case study below.