Transforming Care in Congenital Heart Disease: The Role of Extended Reality in Family and Trainee Education and Procedural Planning

This review examines the growing role of extended reality (XR) (including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) in the care of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), with a focus on its use in patient education, trainee instruction, and procedural planning.

XR has demonstrated early success in improving patient and family understanding, enhancing trainee comprehension of cardiac anatomy, and aiding in surgical and transcatheter procedural planning for patients with complex cardiac anatomy. Studies demonstrate that XR improves visualization of 3D spatial relationships, increases confidence amongst providers and learners, and facilitates more informed preprocedural decision-making. XR addresses longstanding limitations of 2D imaging by providing interactive, patient-specific 3D environments. While most studies in this area are small and exploratory, they consistently underscore the clinical and educational value of XR in CHD care. XR is well-positioned to become a powerful tool across the continuum of CHD management.