title: Utilisation of three-dimensional printed heart models for operative planning of complex congenital heart defects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of the three-dimensional (3D) printing of cardiovascular structures. To explore whether utilisation of 3D printed heart replicas can improve surgical and catheter interventional planning in patients with complex congenital heart defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2014 and November 2015 we fabricated eight cardiovascular models based on computed tomography data in patients with complex spatial anatomical relationships of cardiovascular structures. A Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the accuracy of 3D printing by comparing dimension measurements at analogous anatomical locations between the printed models and digital imagery data, as well as between printed models and in vivo surgical findings. The contribution of 3D printed heart models for perioperative planning improvement was evaluated in the four most representative patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bland-Altman analysis confirmed the high accuracy of 3D cardiovascular printing. Each printed model offered an improved spatial anatomical orientation of cardiovascular structures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current 3D printers can produce authentic copies of patients` cardiovascular systems from computed tomography data. The use of 3D printed models can facilitate surgical or catheter interventional procedures in patients with complex congenital heart defects due to better preoperative planning and intraoperative orientation.
authors.affiliation: petoolejnik@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olejník
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nosal
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Havran
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furdova
authors.forename: Maros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cizmar
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slabej
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thurzo
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitovic
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klvac
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Acel
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Masura
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: congenital heart defects; heart models; three-dimensional printing