PhD defence W.G. (Wiebe) Knol

Summary:

Historically, cardiac surgery has inherently been associated with a risk of severe complications, owing to its invasive nature. These risks vary between patients based on the type of cardiac morbidity and comorbid conditions. Thanks to many innovations over the decades of cardiac surgical practice, the rate of perioperative complications has drastically been lowered. To continue this trend, patient-specific anatomical and pathophysiological information can be used to modify the surgical strategy based on individual patient risk profiles. In this regard, preoperative imaging plays an important role. Conventional imaging, mainly radiography, echocardiograph and angiography have long been used as sole modalities to evaluate a patient’s preoperative status. Technological developments in computed tomography have enabled more detailed and three-dimensional imaging, which might aid in the selection of surgical candidates and in the surgical strategy. In this thesis we have explored the potential value of computed tomography over conventional imaging to reduce the rate of perioperative complications.