When Shanti Narasimhan, MBBS, looks at a two-dimensional heart scan, she sees a map. But when she sees the heart through a virtual reality (VR) headset, she enters a whole new world. 

“When we see the heart in 3D, we can see the parts that we usually only know by description,” says Narasimhan, a pediatric cardiologist and professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “In virtual reality, I can show all those parts. You don’t need to use your imagination.” 

This immersive technology is changing the prognosis for infants and children who have heart defects. To prepare for a recent high-stakes surgery involving a baby who was born with a tumor crowding 80% of his chest, Narasimhan used Elucis software to transform the child’s CT scans into a life-sized, color-coded model — allowing the surgical team to perform a detailed rehearsal by “walking through” his chest cavity before the actual operation. 

“You can actually do the entire operating room [experience],” says Narasimhan. “It reduces the anxiety of the whole cardiac team, including trainees and the families, because you are much more prepared.”

Following that child’s successful surgery, Narasimhan has expanded the use of VR to other complex heart defects and heart failure cases, helping to provide customized care that accounts for a child’s unique anatomy. And she’s not the only one who’s convinced of its utility in cardiac care — in a recent survey, all of her colleagues recommended VR as a vital tool for surgical success. 

However, to better integrate VR into standard care, there are challenges related to funding, insurance coverage and workflow support for physicians, Narasimhan says. 

“As virtual reality proves its value in complex heart surgeries, the question remains: How can hospitals make this technology widely accessible and sustainably supported?” she says. 

For now, the program exists solely through philanthropic support and Narasimhan’s own dedication. A donor’s gift purchased the VR software and headset; Narasimhan provides the labor. She spends hours on weekends meticulously mapping hearts to ensure optimal patient safety.  

“Without donor support,” Narasimhan says, “this is not possible at all.”