VR Heart Repair

New VR technology could be used to improve treatment outcomes for patients with congenital heart disease.

13:18 21 February 2022

Scientists from Evelina London Children's Hospital and King's College London has designed a new virtual reality technology that could be used to improve treatment outcomes for patients who undergo surgical or keyhole procedure for congenital heart disease. 

 

A recent study confirmed that there are around 13 babies in the UK who are born with congenital heart disease every day. These babies often require at least one invasive surgery to help their hearts function normally. Using the new technology, heart surgeons can easily bring together scans that are routinely used to plan the surgery to create a three-dimensional, beating digital double of the heart. 

 

Associate Medical Director, Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, said: “Congenital heart disease is the most common cause of birth defects in babies born in the UK. Every year thousands of heart operations and other procedures are performed for children and adults with congenital heart disease to stop them developing heart failure. Some people will need several procedures during their lifetime.   

 

“This new technology could help to make congenital heart disease surgery even more successful. It could also support people to better understand the heart or blood vessel abnormalities they are born with and what is being proposed to mend them, which can be empowering for people living with congenital heart disease.”