Using 3D Models to help reduce the backlog of Covid-19

Just one implication of the global COVID-19 pandemic is a growing backlog of cardiac surgeries. As a result, cardiac surgeons now face the challenge of reducing this backlog whilst still delivering the very best standards of care and treatment for their patients. To do both, hospitals will require new ways of thinking, such as using innovative 3D modeling to improve pre-operative planning so that surgeons get the information they need faster.

The case

Following a previous procedure, an 82-year-old female patient's mitral valve had begun to leak, allowing blood to flow the wrong way. Her surgeon decided another surgery would be required to fix this leaky valve before the problem got much worse.

Result

Sub-millimeter precision can be a game-changer when planning and carrying out complex cardiac surgeries. The 3D model above was used by the surgeon to get this precision, in addition to the standard patient’s 2D scans. Using the model, the surgeon was able to confidently confirm the safest approach and select the most suitable equipment to use in the surgery. Furthermore, with the insight gained from the model, the team estimated that they finalized their plan for this surgery 60 minutes faster than they would have had they used the 2D medical scans alone.

The impact of this 3D model didn’t just stop there. The team was able to safely complete the surgery 60 minutes faster than they normally would, as they had the ability to preselect the equipment needed ahead of time, with further savings as they had to bring less inventory in to surgery.

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