Medical 3D model saves crucial time in heart transplant surgery for a patient with congenital heart disease

Abdel Hakim Moustafa is a Cardiologist and specializes in advanced cardiac imaging. He works at Hospital Sant Pau in Barcelona where they mainly focus on cardiovascular diseases. In the video below, he talks about a recent case in which a patient with congenital heart disease needed a heart transplant.

Every day, Dr. Moustafa works with patients with very complex cases within the tele-imaging unit. Some of them have undergone different types of surgeries since birth - unique cases in which a heart transplant is inevitable. In this particular case, the surgery needed careful planning because of the nature of the disease. According to Dr. Moustafa, it would have been impossible to thoroughly go through every step of this complex procedure with 2D imaging alone, while also explaining everything to the surgical team.

The Case Solution

The medical 3D model provided the necessary information in order to plan the surgery in advance and educate the whole surgical team on every step of the procedure. Having access to the model also benefited the patient consent process and ensured the best possible outcome for the patient. In the end, the patient-specific 3D model helped reduce surgery time and ischemia time for the transplanted heart. All of this offers long-term benefits for the patient and an overall healthier heart.

When asking Dr. Moustafa about the benefits of 3D models, he mentioned:

• The ability to get more visual insights compared to 2D imaging.

• Better educate the surgical team about the procedure.

• Being able to carry out advanced measurements and planning.

Up next: Improving patient safety in surgery with a 3D printed cardiac model