Comparing Pre-Operative Predictions and Post-Operative Fontan Hemodynamic Outcomes: Implications for Computer-Based Surgery Planning

Computer-based surgical planning of cardiothoracic surgery is a new paradigm that uses engineering tools to model and evaluate patient-specific surgical options and thus provide insights on the hemodynamic implications of a given design. In this study, the total cavopulmonary palliation of single ventricle defects serves as a test-bed for such techniques by comparing the output of pre-operative modeling to hemodynamic outcomes derived from post-operative imaging. The resulting accuracy of the models demonstrates that, despite the inherent challenges, surgical planning is a viable reality in single ventricle cardiothoracic surgery that can potentially deliver significant clinical impact.