Three-dimensional printing of models for surgical planning in patients with primary cardiac tumors.

FIGURE 1. The stereolithographic model showing the heart and detailed anatomy, including the tumor on the right ventricle. The tumor is marked in a different color from the cardiac tissue because of its difference in density. Primary cardiac tumors are rare and mostly benign but have the potential to cause significant morbidity. Surgical treatment is suggested when symptoms or hemodynamic impairment is present. Deciding which surgical strategy (total tumor resection, partial tumor resection, or heart transplant) is best for the individual patient is often difficult because of insufficient imaging. We are therefore exploring the impact of using rapid-prototyping techniques for decision making, surgical planning, and intraoperative orientation for surgical treatment in patients with primary cardiac tumors.