SAN ANTONIO – One local hospital is breaking ground when it comes to bringing hearts to life for their smallest of patients.
Christus Children’s hospital is leading the way. Doctors are using a 3d printer to produce pediatric hearts inside the hospital. They are used for a number of things, including showing parents and family members the size of a child’s heart when they are heading into surgery. Doctors then use the models to describe what they will be doing during surgery with the 3d models in hand.
Surgeons can also practice the surgery on the models as well before they go in for a procedure.
Dr. Ravi Ashwath is the Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Christus Children’s hospital. He says,
“It feels like it’s very very helpful for these people to have seen the model, felt the model, actually practiced on the model and then go back to the operating room and it is almost like a deja vu for them oh I’ve seen this before, so that makes it very easy for them.”
Studies have shown it works. Operating times have been reduced, and the outcomes and precision in surgeries have improved using those 3d heart models.