Computer aided surgical planning for congenital aural atresia

We have designed and implemented a prototype system to aid in the surgical repair of congenital aural atresia. A two-level segmentation algorithm was first developed to separate tissues of similar intensity or low tissue contrast. Then an interactive visualization modular was built to display the labeled tissues. The system allows a 3-stage interactive planning in which positioning, marking and drilling simulates the surgical operation of congenital atresia repair. A voxel-based volume CSG operation was implemented to ensure the efficiency of interactive planning. Six patients with congenital aural atresia underwent virtual planning in preparation for surgery. This technique has proved to be a valuable planning tool, with the potential for virtual representation of the surgical reconstruction.