Operations revolutionised by 3D heart models

Children's cardiac surgery has been revolutionised by the development of 3D-printed models of patients' hearts, a leading consultant has said.

Southampton Children's Hospital has created more than 100 exact replicas from medical scans since 2019, enabling surgeons to practise procedures in advance.

Doctors said the models had sometimes led to a change of plan in the operating theatre.

Southampton Consultant Congenital Cardiac Surgeon Nicola Viola said the technology lifted the "burden of potentially making a mistake".