3D modeling applications in colorectal preoperative planning

Colorectal cancer surgery remains a challenging technical task due to the complex and variable vascular anatomy and the relationship between the tumour and adjacent structures. The introduction of three-dimensional (3D) modelling for preoperative surgical planning and intraoperative navigation can help to mitigate these difficulties and to perform increasingly individualised procedures. This technology allows the patient-specific anatomical information derived from two-dimensional radiological images to be translated into virtual or physical 3D models, which better resemble the complex environment found during surgery. A virtual 3D clone of the patient is created that provides important information on tumour location, grade of invasion and vascular anatomy, allowing an accurate pre-operative planning of the surgical strategy to facilitate "precision surgery" for each individual patient.

In this open classroom we discuss possible indications and present our experience in the use of these 3D models in preoperative planning in the field of colorectal oncological surgery.