Computer-assisted analysis of annuloplasty rings

Over 40.000 annuloplasty rings are implanted each year in the United States to treat mitral regurgitation. The rings come in different sizes and shapes. However it is unclear, which ring is most suitable for the individual patient. Here we present a preoperative annuloplasty planning software to determine an eligible ring. It provides fast interactive methods to create 4D mitral annulus models based on arbitrary image data. Created models can be analyzed geometrically and compared to existing annuloplasty ring models. This way, forces caused by a specific annuloplasty ring can visualized, which enables preoperative simulation and eventually improves operation results. Using our software, we evaluated the size changes caused by five commercially available annuloplasty rings on the mitral annuli of 39 patients. The results suggest that the annuloplasty ring should be selected for each patient specifically.