3D printing program could improve heart surgery for children

A program funded by Hampshire’s heart charity, Wessex Heartbeat, is aiming to transform the way heart surgery is performed in Southampton.

The University Hospital Southampton has become the latest NHS Foundation Trust to use 3D printing. The 3D printing program will support clinicians within the Trust and hopes to encourage less invasive and more accurate pre-operative planning for surgery on children with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).

The project will allow surgeons to get an accurate 3D printed model of a patient’s heart before surgery. This will provide surgeons with additional insights, as well as ensuring peace of mind for patients and their families.

Surgeons at the hospital can request a model by sending a computerised tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging scan to medical 3D printing firm, Axial3D. Once the patient data is received, algorithm and segmentation experts at Axial3D will create and ship a 3D printable model in less than 48 hours.

The models produced will be an exact replica of the patient’s heart, and will offer an in-depth look at the organ, including any tiny imperfections that may have originally been missed. The 3D printed models that will be supplied to the hospital are made of a photopolymer resin and will go on to form a library for the hospital once they are used for surgery.

This new technology means that surgeons can meticulously plan operations and minimise the number of invasive operations and procedures that the child will undergo throughout his or her life. Once used, the 3D hearts can also offer training and practice opportunities to help develop more precise and efficient surgery techniques.

Nicola Viola, a paediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgeon said: “3D printing is an incredible piece of technology which can change the way we approach congenital heart disease treatment in children.

“Working with Axial3D’s 3D printing team allows us to focus on the patient’s heart in the confidence that they are printing exactly what we need. Even more importantly, the ability to customise each model before printing allows us to personalise treatment further, ensuring that we know exactly what we are dealing with before reaching the operating theatre.” 

Daniel Crawford, founder and chief strategy officer at Axial3D commented: “We are delighted that through the support of Wessex Heartbeat, we can welcome University Hospital Southampton onboard as the latest hospital showing their desire to transform patient care.

“Our mission is to disprove the myth of medical 3D printing being a lengthy and costly process by offering a nationally accessible medical Hub available to all NHS and private hospitals. The savings we make are passed directly onto the users ensuring all healthcare professionals can access the technology and skills necessary to improve surgical planning.” 

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the UK, and we recognise that having a child with this condition leads to devastation for the whole family. Being able to maximise efficiency and offer such respite to the families with the technology used is vital to not only the general wellbeing of the patient and their family but also to the recovery and living stage, after diagnosis. Wessex Heartbeat have committed to raise funds to continue to support this amazing project for at least the next four years,” added John Munro, CEO at Wessex Heartbeat.