JTCVS Techniques | 2021
Commentary: Virtual fit reality and tailored approach in ventricular assist device implantation
Abstract
Recent technical advances in medicine have made several new tools available to surgeons in the preoperative and intraoperative care of patients for more precise diagnosis, planning, and execution of surgical procedures. The application of 3-dimensional (3D)-printing, computer modeling, highresolution computed tomography CT scan and reconstruction, 3D echocardiography, and, more recently, virtual reality are examples of these sophisticated technological advances used by surgeons toward a personalized patient approach. Tailoring the surgical approach based on individual patient anatomy using advanced technology may be key to the success of complex congenital heart operations, organ transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support device implantation. Recently, virtual heart transplantation has allowed donor–recipient size matching to be individualized, expanding the potential donor pool for pediatric heart transplant recipients. This represents a movement away from using generalized assumptions about heart size, chest wall anatomy, and spatial relationships of cardiothoracic structures to determine size match. Furthermore, virtual implantation of the total artificial heart