Adjustment of the Surgical Plan in Repair of Congenital Heart Disease: The Power of Cross-sectional Imaging and Three-dimensional Visualization

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study the importance of cross-sectional imaging in preoperative evaluation and surgical planning. Echocardiography is the modality of choice to diagnose cardiac diseases. However, in some cases, the data obtained from echocardiogram are insufficient or the image quality is poor. In these cases, additional modalities are being used to provide further information that can aid in guiding medical management of or surgical planning for the patient. Cross-sectional imaging has become widely available in many institutions. These imaging techniques, especially with three-dimensional reconstructions, provide realistic images that have imperative diagnostic values. Moreover, the possibility of sophisticated image-processing techniques provides important hemodynamic characteristics via less invasive methods. In this article, we present three cases in which additional cross-sectional imaging seemed to be a crucial step prior to surgical planning.

Evaluation of ventricular septal defects using high pitch computed tomography angiography of the chest in children with complex congenital heart defects below one year of age

“…Hierbei können die Anatomie und der intraoperative Situs in verschiedenen Einstellungen simuliert werden. Speziell bei komplexen kongenitalen Herzfehlern kann dies dem Chirurgen in der präoperativen Planung in der Auswahl der Operationstechnik und des Zugangswegs behilflich sein (Gerrah et al, 2014…”

Nuclear Imaging in Pediatric Cardiology: Principles and Applications

“…Echocardiography is the key non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool that is usually sufficient to manage most children with heart disease ( 1 , 2 ). However, cross-sectional imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are increasingly used in pediatric cardiology, and can provide additional anatomical, structural, and functional information ( 3 – 5 ). In adult cardiology, nuclear imaging techniques are used for evaluating myocardial perfusion and viability, pulmonary perfusion, ventricular function, and detection of inflammatory processes.…”