3-D liver trains scientists for more accurate tumour removal surgery

Washington, Jan 9 (ANI): With a new system, surgeons can now use 3D, accurate images of the liver to rehearse keyhole tumour removal before real surgery, a feat that can reduce the risk to the patient and offer expert advice as well.

Odysseus has developed systems to construct 3D images of individual patients' livers, with their tumours or other pathologies, from MRI or CT-scans.

The reconstructions can be transmitted to external experts in any location, for consultation in real time just before surgery.

Collaborative decisions can be made and optimal therapy planned with the best possible diagnostic support, before real surgery is attempted.

Simulation of laparoscopic and robotic surgery, with tissue resistance, can be used either to practice the exact surgery proposed for an individual patient, or also for training several surgeons simultaneously.

The Eureka project Odysseus has developed software for 3D-imaging of the blood vessels of a patient's liver which has materially advanced medical understanding of how the liver is segmented.

The 3D modelling has shown that up to 50 pct of patients have a significantly different liver structure from the Couinaud description.

"Thanks to the 3D modeling, the future of liver surgery has gained more precision through accurate definition of the liver's blood vessels," said Professor Luc Soler of the Institut de Recherche pour les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif (IRCAD).

The project brought together partners with expertise in tumour detection, endoscopy, virtual simulation and specialised software for image transmission and reconstruction at a distance, in real time.

The products developed as a result comprise a whole set of interrelated technologies which together will help medical specialists to take the best informed decisions on diagnosis and treatment.nce trials and validation are complete, their use will enable more accurate diagnosis of secondary liver tumours so they can be removed completely; and reduce the size of liver segments that need to be resected. (ANI)