Computer-Aided Preoperative Planning for Liver Surgery Based on CT Images

In this study, we present a computer-aided preoperative planning system (Liver 2.0) for liver surgery based on CT images. The proposed system is composed of two main sections: image analysis and treatment planning. The first module provides effective image analysis algorithms and three-dimensional (3D) visualization of all relevant anatomic and pathologic structures. The later module provides the resection tools and measurement tools for virtual liver surgery planning. The surgeon can flexibly specify resection regions with resection tools, which can be applied selectively to different structures, and obtain the quantitative analysis of distance, area, volume and angle with measurement instruments. The results of clinical trial indicate that the virtual liver resections provide a reasonable and useful basis for preoperative planning, and it also can be used for educational purposes.