Utilizing the Fourth Dimension for Patient Education in Cardiovascular Surgery

The complex 3-dimensional (3D) anatomy of the cardiovascular system presents a steep learning obstacle to patients in understanding cardiovascular diseases and surgical procedures. Although 3D printed models have become popular in surgical education, 2D cross-sections remain standard in clinical practice owing to costs and availability. In this report, we demonstrate how the free 3D modeling software Meshmixer can be used to add a fourth dimension to patient education by exploiting interactive 3D modeling. This report serves as proof of concept for the feasibility and potential utility of interactive 3D modeling as an inexpensive tool for cardiovascular surgery patient education.