3D TECHNOLOGY
AIDS HEART OPERATIONS
Copyright 2001 www.chinadaily.com
[ December 1st 2001 ]
Many
fans are addicted to three-dimensional games like
Tomb Raider. Well, surgeons will find more fun
and relaxation in taking risky cardiac operations
if the process is like exploring a complex maze.
This
week, local doctors announced they have developed
a new echocardiographic method, which may demonstrate
the lively three-dimensional images of the interior
structure of of the heart. With the assistance
of a computer, the three-dimensional echocardiography
provides doctors with a more accurate and detailed
spatial view of the heart, which can effectively
help surgeons predict the operation process and
avoid risks.
The unique
technology developed under the lead of Sun Kun
of Shanghai Children's Medical Centre and Xinhua
Hospital took the lead in China. "The clinical
use of this medical technology may greatly improve
diagnosis accuracy to 86 per cent. With clear
images, surgeons set ideal operation programmes
for the fatal complex congenital heart disease
in infants," said Dr. Sun.
Inborn
heart disease hits 67 of every 10,000 babies,
which causes the death of about 100,000 to 150,000
infants in China. Nearly half of the heart diseases
are complex heart diseases in infants. Unfortunately,
half of such patients die of the fatal disease
due to inaccurate diagnosis or delayed treatment.
With
traditional two-dimensional echocardiographic
images, surgeons need much experience and imagination
to decide the malformation of the heart. The convenient
and advanced three-dimensional method makes their
work much easier. The process of the three-dimensional
echocardiography relies on the computer.
Doctors
place a sonde on the chest of the patient, and
the computer will collect information about the
heart from all sections. Then the data is processed
and reconstructed into three-dimensional images,
vividly demonstrating the heart's malformation
and inner structure. Surgeons can visualize the
process of the cardiac operation with the technology.
"Surgeons
can place the patient's heart in hands and try
to take a cut as they like. The only difference
is that the process is done in the computer,"
Sun said. Two local hospitals have put the three-dimensional
echocardiography into clinical use in two local
hospitals, which will be introduced to other hospitals
soon, Sun said.
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