UAE: Man with rare heart condition treated with 3D printing technology

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi, leveraged a cutting-edge three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to print a 3D model of the heart and plan a complex surgical intervention on a 41-year-old patient with a rare cardiovascular anomaly.

The technology developed by NYU Abu Dhabi's Core Technology Platform can be used in various fields such as cardiovascular and neurological cases.

When Mian Mohamed Shabbie was referred to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in a critical condition, he was presented with complications stemming from a birth defect of the aorta, the main blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

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In Shabbie's case, his aorta – which normally has a left-sided arch after exiting the heart - had a right-sided arch with a giant aneurysm. The aneurysm itself was of a rare kind, known as Kommerell's diverticulum, which has one of the main branches of the aorta, with a bulge at the site of its origin.

Explaining the case, Dr. Houssam Younes, Department Chair for Vascular Surgery within the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said, "Kommerell's diverticulum is a rare cardiovascular abnormality, even more so when combined with a right-sided aortic arch, as seen in only 0.03% of people worldwide. Due to its asymptomatic nature or presentation with symptoms commonly associated with other conditions, these congenital deformities are infrequently detected, calling for a high level of physician and technological expertise during surgical interventions."

Dr. Yazan Aljabery, Cardiac Surgeon within the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, explained: "Correcting a case of Kommerell's diverticulum when the aorta arches left, as is typical, is relatively straightforward because the deformity is accessible and visible. However, when the vessel arches right, as in this case, the defect is obscured by other large vessels, making surgical interventions particularly challenging. Using a 3D-printed model in such cases enhances the safety of the procedure and allows for more precise and tailored surgery."

The process involves three stages — 3D image reconstruction, a procedure that involves creating a three-dimensional model from raw diagnostic imaging data to provide a foundational digital framework of the patient's anatomy; 3D slicing, which allows for a more detailed analysis of the individual structures and organs in greater detail and; 3D printing, which involves building a physical replica of the patient's anatomy that the surgeon can hold, examine, and use for pre-surgical planning and simulation.

The 3D printing technology is instrumental in understanding the unique challenges of each case and allows for a more precise and tailored surgical approach with the highest accuracy and minimum risks.