Cite this article as: Lezhnev AA, Ryabtsev DV, Hamanturov DB, Barskiy VI, Yatsyk SP. Silicone models of the aortic root to plan and simulate interventions. Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg 2020; doi:10.1093/icvts/ivaa068. Silicone models of the aortic root to plan and simulate interventions Alexander A. Lezhnev a, *, Dmitriy V. Ryabtsev a , Dmitriy B. Hamanturov b , Vladimir I. Barskiy a and Sergeiy P. Yatsyk a a National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia b “Prototype” LTD, Tomsk, Russia * Corresponding author. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Intensive Cardiology, National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Lomonosov Avenue, 2, Building 1, Moscow 119296, Russia. Tel: +7-495-9671420; e-mail: lezhnev.md@gmail.com (A.A. Lezhnev). Received 7 November 2019; received in revised form 20 February 2020; accepted 18 March 2020 Abstract OBJECTIVES: The objective of this work was to develop technology to create ‘soft’ patient-specific models of semilunar heart valves, the aortic valve in particular, suitable for training and simulation of surgical and endovascular interventions. METHODS: Data obtained during routine cardiac contrast-enhanced multislice computed tomography were used to create 3-dimensional models of the aortic root. Three-dimensional models were used to create soft silicone models of the aortic root made by casting silicone into a negative mould printed with stereolithography. A comparison between the constructed models and the size of the aortic root was performed. We quantified how much time was needed for production of each model. RESULTS: Four patient-specific soft models of the aortic root were produced. Data from patients of different ages and body surface areas were used as prototypes. All models had minimum size errors. During development of this technology, production time per model was reduced from 63 to 39 h. EXPERIMENTAL V C The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved. Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (2020) 1–6 ORIGINAL ARTICLE doi:10.1093/icvts/ivaa068 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/icvts/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/icvts/ivaa068/5848350 by guest on 29 May 2020