New VR technology to improve the patient’s congenital heart disease surgery

State-of-the-art virtual reality technology could improve the patient’s experience undergoing a keyhole or surgical procedure for congenital heart disease surgery.

Developed by researchers from the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, and Kings College London collates scans routinely used to plan congenital heart disease surgery, to form a 3D, beating digital twin of the heart.

The researchers expect that using VR to practice and plan procedures will cut operating times and reduce the need for multiple surgeries; thus, resulting in better experiences and outcomes for the patient and their family. In addition, the researchers expect that it could be in regular use within the next couple of years.

Clinical Research Fellow in Congenital Cardiovascular Imaging at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, Dr Natasha Stephenson, stated: “We have had a lot of help from the fantastic team at King’s Medical Engineering Quality Management System who are helping us to move the device through from a prototype to a nationally regulated device which can be used to help plan these complex procedures.”

Professor of Paediatric and Fetal Cardiology at Evelina London and King’s College London and lead researcher, Professor John Simpson, stated: “Procedures to repair the heart’s anatomy can be complex, and surgeons don’t like surprises. Our technology will allow surgeons to plan and practice these procedures and we’re currently applying for approval for it to be used in this way. We think that this technology could also be used outside of congenital heart disease surgeries, to plan any procedure which aims to correct a structural problem within the heart, such as valve surgery in an adult patient.”