Revolutionizing Pediatric Heart Surgery With Immersive Tech
Telethon 2025 is spotlighting a bold leap in paediatric cardiac care: surgeons are donning virtual reality (VR) goggles to walk through a patient’s heart before operating. The innovative Minerva platform, a collaboration between Curtin University’s Hub for Immersive Visualisation and eResearch (HIVE) and Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH), blends medical imaging with mixed reality to provide a non-invasive, three-dimensional view of congenital heart disease (CHD) anatomy. This approach aims to give surgeons a clearer map of each patient’s unique structure and reduce intraoperative surprises.
Why This Matters for Congenital Heart Disease Care
Congenital heart disease encompasses more than a dozen distinct abnormalities of the heart, valves, or great vessels present at birth. In Australia, between 2,400 and 3,000 babies are born with CHD each year, making it the most common congenital disorder in newborns. While many cases are straightforward with existing imaging, about five percent present complex anatomy that challenges conventional planning. In such scenarios, even small variations in structure can dramatically affect surgical strategy and outcomes.
From 2D Images to 3D Understanding
Traditional imaging—CT scans, MRIs, and echocardiography—provides critical information, but translating flat images into a precise, three-dimensional plan for a tiny infant is difficult. Minerva changes that by letting surgeons immerse themselves in a patient’s heart as if they were stepping inside. Dr. David Andrews, head of cardiothoracic surgery at PCH, explains the value: “I can actually walk my way through a heart. I can slice and dice, I can twist and turn, I can go from top, bottom, side, upward, and try and figure out exactly what I’m going to be looking at when I get into surgery.”
How Minerva Works
Minerva uses VR goggles to render CT-derived anatomy into a navigable 3D model. Curtin HIVE extended reality researcher Michael Ovens notes that the software lets clinicians load real-time CT images and manipulate the visualization with hands-on interaction. “In VR, you can actually see the 3D anatomy how it really exists (in the body),” he says. The platform is designed to help teams decide the optimal surgical approach before entering the operating room, potentially reducing risk and shortening procedure times.
Clinical and Educational Benefits
The potential applications of Minerva extend beyond the operating theatre. Professors and trainees can use the VR environment as a teaching tool to understand the intricacies of paediatric cardiac anatomy. For experienced surgeons, VR planning supports decision-making in complex cases. And for families, clearer preoperative explanations may be possible as clinicians reference a patient-specific 3D model during discussions about treatment options and expected outcomes.
Looking Ahead: Implementation and Impact
The Minerva pilot at Perth Children’s Hospital marks an important step toward broader adoption. The Telethon-derived funding underscores a commitment to innovative imaging and safer surgeries for vulnerable patients. The research team aims to expand VR adoption across more cases within the next year, with the aspiration that immersive visualization becomes a standard component of surgical planning for intricate CHD repairs.
Broader Significance in Paediatric Care
While focused on congenital heart disease, the technology’s reach could extend to other paediatric conditions requiring precise anatomical planning. In addition to surgery, VR-based planning may assist with teaching, multidisciplinary collaboration, and family-centered conversations by providing a tangible, patient-specific 3D view. As the field evolves, Minerva could help clinicians tailor interventions to each child’s unique anatomy, improving safety and long-term outcomes for the youngest patients.
