This 3D-Printed Heart Valve Could Save Lives

<b> by Anthony Falco</b>

Advanced 3D printed heart valves could soon assist cardiologists in performing transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR) and other life-saving surgeries.

Researchers at Georgia Tech and the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta are using new 3D printing technologies to help cardiologists predict whether paravalvular leakages could occur after valve replacement surgery. Leakages are a common complication when the valve doesn’t precisely fit, and researchers hope to avoid it with this new medical innovation.

The team creates 3D-printed models from CT scans of patients’ hearts, which yield patient-specific heart valve models that mimic the physiological qualities of the real valves. Cardiologists can then evaluate how well a prosthetic valve fits a patient before the start of a surgery.

The team is hoping to refine the prototype and test even more patient-specific models to ensure better outcomes from heart valve replacement surgery.

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