Using 3D Heart Printing for Planning to Repair a Complex Congenital Heart Disease via Minimal Invasive Thoracotomy.

BACKGROUND

Cor triatriatum sinister is a rare congenital heart disease that can mimic left atrial obstructive lesions. Symptoms vary based on the severity of obstruction.

CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 14-year-old girl with severe exercise intolerance. Echocardiography and computed tomography scan revealed a fibromuscular membrane causing left atrial obstruction and an anomalous venous drainage with a persistent left superior vena cava to the coronary sinus. Surgical intervention is definitive, typically via sternotomy.

DISCUSSION: Given the complexity and lack of expertise in minimal invasive thoracotomy for such lesions, we used 3-dimensional (3D) heart printing for virtual surgical planning. This approach facilitated a safe and precise repair. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case using 3D printing to enable a minimally invasive thoracotomy for cor triatriatum sinister correction.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: Minimally invasive approaches should not be dismissed for complex congenital heart defects. Multimodal imaging can enhance surgical feasibility.