3D Printing to Guide Ventricular Assist Device Placement in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Failure

As the population of adults with congenital heart disease continues to grow, so does the number of these patients with heart failure. Ventricular assist devices are underutilized in adults with congenital heart disease due to their complex anatomic arrangements and physiology. Advanced imaging techniques that may increase the utilization of mechanical circulatory support in this population must be explored. Three-dimensional printing offers individualized structural models that would enable pre-surgical planning of cannula and device placement in adults with congenital cardiac disease and heart failure who are candidates for such therapies. We present a review of relevant cardiac anomalies, cases in which such models could be utilized, and some background on the cost and procedure associated with this process.