Understanding the branching pattern and topology of vascular structures is crucial for therapy planning and the actual surgery in order to prevent healthy organs or organ regions from being cut off from blood supply and drainage. An illustrative visualization that provides knowledge about the location, properties, spatial distances, and functional relationships of those vessels to other relevant anatomic structures has been a frequent request by surgeons.

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Within recent years, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become a serious alternative to surgical resection of small and medium-sized abdominal tumors. The assessment of treatment results is difficult but the key to establish guidelines and standards for the application of radiofrequency. It is the basis to compare different treatments. Thorough planning and guidance help minimizing the risk of under-ablation thus reducing the recurrency rate.

Being part of the VICORA research network, the project aims at developing a software assistant that supports the important steps in tumor ablation: Planning, Guidance, and Assessment.

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Computer-aided planning of complex surgical interventions as it is available today enables the surgeon to simulate and to optimize a resection strategy beforehand. The direct access to this planning data in the operating room, however, is limited by the design of the planning systems for preoperative use. Interfaces for operating room interaction need to consider the specific requirements as to the cognitive load, workflow, sterility, and workspace of the surgeon.

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