3D Printing and Holography

Advances in biomedical engineering have led to three-dimensional (3D) printed models being used for a broad range of different applications. Teaching medical personnel, communicating with patients and relatives, planning complex heart surgery, or designing new techniques for repair of congenital heart disease via cardiac catheterization are now options available using patient-specific 3D representations such as printed models or holograms. The management of congenital heart disease can be challenging owing to the wide spectrum of morphological conditions and the differences between patients. Direct visualization and manipulation of the patients’ individual anatomy has opened new horizons in personalized treatment, providing the possibility of performing the whole procedure in vitro beforehand, thus anticipating complications and possible outcomes. In this chapter, we discuss the workflow to implement 3D printing and holography in clinical practice, the imaging modalities used for anatomical segmentation, the applications of this emerging techniques in patients with structural heart disease, its limitations, and future directions.