The clinical use of 3D-modeling in pediatric surgery

Abstract

3D-technologies are a promising direction in the development of medicine. Numerous publications in recent years demonstrate the potential use of 3D-modeling in disease diagnosis, surgical planning, intraoperative navigation, development of individual implants, and specialist training. In this article, we present the experience of implementing 3D-technologies in the practice of a pediatric surgeon using three clinical cases where the use of 3D models based on computed tomography data allowed for more accurate diagnosis and surgical planning. The first patient was a 3-year-old boy with vascular compression of the left main bronchus and impaired ventilation of the left lung. After 3D-visualization of the area of interest, an arterial ligament causing the compression was visualized as the main cause. The second patient was a 6-month-old boy with confirmed bilateral chondromesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall. The volume and staging of the surgical treatment, as well as the most suitable option for defect replacement, were developed after creating a polymer 3D-model of the child’s chest. The third patient was a 17-year-old girl with persistent hypercalcemia after removal of a parathyroid adenoma. A repeat computed tomography revealed an ectopic parathyroid tissue. The use of 3D-models and AR-technology for intraoperative navigation allowed for precise determination of the location of the pathological tissue. These clinical cases demonstrate the potential and effectiveness of using 3D-modeling in pediatric surgery and confirm that this is a promising direction in the development of medicine, opening up new possibilities for clinicians.