Application of Cardiac CTA Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Combined with 3D Printing Technology in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease in Children.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction combined with 3D printing technology in the diagnosis and interventional planning of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children.

METHODS

This retrospective comparative study included 30 pediatric patients with CHD who underwent interventional occlusion between January 2023 and March 2025. Fifteen patients underwent interventional occlusion guided by cardiac CTA-based 3D reconstruction combined with 3D printing technology and were assigned to the combined-technique group. Another 15 patients who underwent conventional interventional occlusion during the same period were included as the conventional group. Baseline characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, surgical planning time, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative recovery time, complications, residual shunt, X-ray exposure dose, and X-ray exposure time were compared between the two groups. The role of 3D-printed models in defect assessment and occluder planning was also evaluated.

RESULTS

The diagnostic accuracy was 80.0% (12/15) in the conventional group and 93.3% (14/15) in the combined-technique group. Although the combined technique showed a numerically higher diagnostic accuracy, the difference was not statistically significant. Compared with the conventional group, the combined-technique group had significantly shorter surgical planning time and operative time, as well as lower X-ray exposure dose and shorter X-ray exposure time. No significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss, postoperative recovery time, or postoperative complications between the two groups. The 3D-printed models provided additional information regarding defect morphology, surrounding rims, and spatial relationships with adjacent cardiac structures, and allowed preprocedural assessment of occluder seating and stability.

CONCLUSION

Cardiac CTA-based 3D reconstruction combined with 3D printing may serve as a useful adjunct for preprocedural assessment and interventional planning in pediatric CHD. By improving visualization of defect morphology and supporting occluder simulation, this approach may help optimize device selection and improve procedural efficiency. However, its effects on postoperative recovery, complications, and long-term outcomes require further validation in larger prospective multicenter studies.