Digital twin technology aids cardiac surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital

Editor's Note

Boston Children's Hospital uses digital twins of patients' hearts to improve cardiac surgery precision and ensure positive outcomes, according to an October 15 report in The Washington Post.

Digital twins—computerized replications of physical objects and systems—enable surgeons to simulate complex procedures on virtual 3D heart models before making the first incision, The Post reports. By visualizing and manipulating patient-specific heart replicas, they can analyze blood flow, electrical activity, and pressure on valves to ultimately optimize surgical plans and improve outcomes for children with life-threatening cardiac conditions. Digital models have been used in approximately 1,300 surgeries so far.

In addition to improving outcomes, the technology offers potential for facilitating detailed planning and coordination between medical teams, The Post reports. For example, surgeons can rotate and dissect these 3D models on a screen, assessing different repair techniques and their impact on heart function.

The article also details how the concept of digital twinning in healthcare is gaining traction beyond cardiac surgery, with models being developed for organs like lungs, livers, and brains. Despite the high costs of implementation, the use of digital twins is expected to grow significantly, with healthcare applications forecasted to reach $21.1 billion by 2028.  

However, experts also urge caution. For example, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine warned of “runaway enthusiasm” for twinning in 2023, The Post reports. “The publicity around digital twins and digital twin solutions currently outweighs the evidence base of success,” the panel of experts said. It called on the federal government to spend more on cross-agency efforts to “advance mathematical, statistical, and computational foundations for digital twins.”