**Introduction/Hypothesis:**
Intraventricular baffles, in which a baffle is used from a ventricular septal defect (VSD) to the systemic outflow tract, are common in congenital heart surgery. The complexity of this repair can vary greatly. Straightforward double outlet right ventricle (DORV) cases may be repaired in a fashion similar to a Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) repair, while highly complex ones may include baffling to an aortopulmonary amalgamation after aortic arch reconstruction. In all cases along this spectrum, visualization of each individual patient’s anatomy can pose great challenges to the surgical team. These challenges include the feasibility of the baffle, structures that may impinge on the baffle, and the size of the baffle itself. In two DORV cases in which visualization of both the defect and baffle repair were difficult, the objective was to create 3D printed models of the patient hearts. The 3D printed models displayed the intracardiac anatomy of the individual patients and were created to be manipulated by the surgical team to aid in planning of the IV baffle repair.

**Methods**
The 3D models were created following the same method for both patients. Image sets created by taking thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans of the patient, which were then imported into an image segmentation program (Synopsys Simpleware Software). Blood pool segments of each of the hearts were generated by this program, which were then hollowed to show the intracardiac anatomy. Following segmentation, 3D models were generated and printed using polylactic acid (PLA) 3D printers (Stratasys J5 MediJet, Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy). In addition, operable, cuttable, and sewable Digital Anatomy™ models were also created.

**Results**
The printed models proved a valuable tool for communication between the surgical team and the non-invasive imaging laboratory. The ability to accurately visualize the patient hearts in three dimensions and to touch the life-sized models allowed for better understanding of the unique complexities of the two cases. Then Digital Anatomy™ 3D printed models from the same dataset gave the surgeons the opportunity to plan and practice the construction of the complex interventricular baffles.

**Conclusion**
3D printed models are a valuable tool for improving the standard of care in complex surgical planning. Future cases with other complex anatomies and operations can further illustrate the benefit of such tools.



Using 3D Printed Models for Intraventricular Repair Surgical Planning