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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Pioneering Patient-Specific Approaches for Precision Surgery Using Imaging and Virtual Reality
Published on: April 5, 2024
Virtual reality modeling for multidisciplinary surgical planning for complex single ventricular physiology
Anokha Nathan1, Dhruvil A Patel2, Priya Nair2
1College of Biological Sciences, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA. anathan4@uchicago.edu.
Abstract:
The selection of biventricular repair or Fontan completion for single-ventricle patients remains difficult to determine in borderline patients. We report how the use of a 3-dimensional virtual reality model informed an accurate estimation of a 34-month-old child's ventricular chamber size to confirm Fontan completion. Developed from CT scan imaging, the model simulated a virtual biventricular repair and demonstrated inadequate outflow tracts after patching and baffle rerouting. This case demonstrates the implications of virtual reality for congenital heart disease surgical planning, providing a shared, intuitive platform for multidisciplinary discussion and consensus-building among surgeons, cardiologists, imagers, and anesthesiologists.

