Background—The total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC), a palliative correction for congenital defects of the right heart, is based on the corrective technique developed by Fontan and Baudet. Research into the TCPC has primarily focused on reducing power loss through the connection as a means to improve patient longevity and quality of life. The goal of our study is to investigate the efficacy of including a caval offset on the hemodynamics and, ultimately, power loss of a connection. As well, we will quantify the effect of vessel wall compliance on these factors and, in addition, the distribution of hepatic blood to the lungs. Methods—We employed a computational fluid dynamic model of blood flow in the TCPC that includes both the non-Newtonian shear thinning characteristics of blood and the nonlinear compliance of vessel tissue. Results—Power loss in the rigid-walled simulations decayed exponentially as caval offset increased. The compliant-walled results, however, showed that after an initial substantial decrease in power loss for offsets up to half the caval diameter, power loss increased slightly again. We also found only minimal mixing in both simulations of all offset models. Conclusions—The increase in power loss beyond an offset of half the caval diameter was due to an increase in the kinetic contribution. Reduced caval flow mixing, on the other hand, was due to the formation of a pressure head in the offset region which acts as a barrier to flow.
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December 2004
Technical Papers
The Effect of Incorporating Vessel Compliance in a Computational Model of Blood Flow in a Total Cavopulmonary Connection (TCPC) with Caval Centerline Offset
J. C. Masters,
J. C. Masters
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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M. Ketner,
M. Ketner
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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M. S. Bleiweis,
M. S. Bleiweis
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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M. Mill,
M. Mill
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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A. Yoganathan,
A. Yoganathan
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
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C. L. Lucas
C. L. Lucas
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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J. C. Masters
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
M. Ketner
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
M. S. Bleiweis
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
M. Mill
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
A. Yoganathan
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
C. L. Lucas
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the Bioengineering Division November 19, 2002; revision received July 19, 2004. Associate Editor: James Moore.
J Biomech Eng. Dec 2004, 126(6): 709-713 (5 pages)
Published Online: February 4, 2005
Article history
Received:
November 19, 2002
Revised:
July 19, 2004
Online:
February 4, 2005
Citation
Masters, J. C., Ketner, M., Bleiweis , M. S., Mill, M., Yoganathan, A., and Lucas, C. L. (February 4, 2005). "The Effect of Incorporating Vessel Compliance in a Computational Model of Blood Flow in a Total Cavopulmonary Connection (TCPC) with Caval Centerline Offset ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. December 2004; 126(6): 709–713. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1824126
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