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Utility of three-dimensional printed heart models for education on complex congenital heart diseases
1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Patient-specific 3D printed heart models effectively educated medical personnel on complex congenital heart diseases. This innovative approach significantly improved understanding of anatomy, structure, pathophysiology, and surgical aspects of these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Complex congenital heart diseases present significant educational challenges for medical professionals.
- Traditional teaching methods may not adequately convey the intricate three-dimensional anatomy and pathophysiology of these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of using patient-specific 3D printed heart models for educating medical personnel.
- To evaluate the impact of these models on the understanding of complex congenital heart diseases.
Main Methods:
- Created 14 patient-specific 3D heart models from CT data for 9 types of complex congenital heart disease.
- Conducted hands-on seminars for medical staff, focusing on anatomy, 3D structure, pathophysiology, and surgical details.
- Utilized pre- and post-seminar Likert-scale questionnaires to measure educational impact.
Main Results:
- 16 seminars were held with 75 participant responses.
- Significant improvements were reported in understanding anatomy (4.8 to 8.4), 3D structure (4.6 to 8.9), pathophysiology (4.8 to 8.5), and surgery (4.9 to 8.8).
- All improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Patient-specific 3D printed heart models are a feasible and effective educational tool for complex congenital heart disease.
- This method enhances medical personnel's comprehension of complex cardiac conditions.
- 3D models offer a valuable alternative to conventional educational resources.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effects of education on complex congenital heart diseases using patient-specific three-dimensional printed heart models.
Methods:
Three-dimensional printed heart models were created using computed tomography data obtained from 11 patients with complex congenital heart disease. Fourteen kinds of heart models, encompassing nine kinds of complex congenital heart disease were printed. Using these models, a series of educational hands-on seminars, led by an experienced paediatric cardiac surgeon and a paediatric cardiologist, were conducted for medical personnel who were involved in the care of congenital heart disease patients. Contents of the seminars included anatomy, three-dimensional structure, pathophysiology, and surgery for each diagnosis. Likert-type (10-point scale) questionnaires were used before and after each seminar to evaluate the effects of education.
Results:
Between November 2019 and June 2020, a total of 16 sessions of hands-on seminar were conducted. The total number of questionnaire responses was 75. Overall, participants reported subjective improvement in understanding anatomy (4.8 ± 2.1 versus 8.4 ± 1.1, p < 0.001), three-dimensional structure (4.6 ± 2.2 versus 8.9 ± 1.0, p < 0.001), pathophysiology (4.8 ± 2.2 versus 8.5 ± 1.0, p < 0.001), and surgery (4.9 ± 2.3 versus 8.8 ± 0.9, p < 0.001) of the congenital heart disease investigated.
Conclusions:
The utilisation of three-dimensional printed heart models for education on complex congenital heart disease was feasible and improved medical personnel's understanding of complex congenital heart disease. This education tool may be an effective alternative to conventional education tools for complex congenital heart disease.
