FURI | Spring 2020

Towards a Software Package that Improves Planning of Great Artery Heart Defect Surgeries

Great artery heart defects (GAHDs) are a trio of severe congenital defects that cause poor systemic oxygen delivery, ventricular enlargement, and is fatal if untreated. All three of the conditions present with malpositioning of the aortic and pulmonary arteries and a ventricular septal defect. The relative locations of the arteries and defect should guide surgery, yet the locations are difficult to determine using current methods. Herein, we develop a medical imaging software package that allows us to accurately quantify the locations of the arteries and defect relative to one another and thus improve planning of GAHD surgeries.