Watch Now: 3D Medical Modeling At Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

(VIDEO: Barry Katzen, M.D., founder and chief medical executive of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute explains how medical modeling can improve patient outcomes.)

Cardiovascular surgeons perform complex interventional procedures on a daily basis. No two cases are alike, and some situations may pose a challenge to even the most experienced physicians. What if cardiovascular surgical teams could practice, or rehearse, a procedure before heading into the operating room?

Barry Katzen, M.D., founder and chief medical executive of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, and a team of doctors, are getting that opportunity. It comes in the form of a training simulator that prepares the team for a scheduled intervention by taking patient-specific images and converting them into 3D anatomical models. The “PROcedure Rehearsal Studio” from 3D Systems allows clinicians to create customized models for the purpose of simulating, analyzing and evaluating preoperative endovascular surgical treatment options for each patient.

Not only does the team get a virtual computer simulation, they also get an actual resin model of the area. The model is life sized, and can even be sterilized and taken into the procedure room to assist the team before and during an intervention. The models are made using the latest 3D printing technology.

The Baptist Health South Florida News Team talks to Dr. Katzen about how 3D medical modeling works. Watch it now!