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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2004;127:705-711
© 2004 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Surgery for congenital heart disease |
a Department of Surgery, Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine and James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Ind, USA
b Department of Anesthesiology, Indiana University School of Medicine and James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Ind, USA
c Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine and James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Ind, USA
Read at the Twenty-ninth Annual Meeting of The Western Thoracic Surgical Association, Carlsbad, Calif, June 18-21, 2003.
Received for publication June 17, 2003; revisions received August 22, 2003; revisions received November 5, 2003; accepted for publication November 12, 2003.
* Address for reprints: Mark D. Rodefeld, MD, Department of Surgery, Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Emerson Hall 215, 545 Barnhill Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
rodefeld{at}iupui.edu
| Abstract |
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METHODS: Lambs (n = 13; mean weight, 5.6 ± 1.5 kg; mean age, 6.8 ± 4.0 days) were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. Baseline hemodynamic parameters were measured. Total cavopulmonary diversion was performed with bicaval venous-to-main pulmonary artery cannulation. A miniature centrifugal pump was used to assist cavopulmonary flow. Support was titrated to normal physiologic parameters. Hemodynamic data, arterial blood gases, and lactate values were measured for 8 hours. Baseline, 1-hour, and 8-hour time points were compared by using analysis of variance.
RESULTS: All animals remained stable without the use of volume loading, inotropic support, or pulmonary vasodilator therapy. Cardiac index, systemic arterial pressure, left atrial pressure, and lactate values were similar to baseline values 8 hours after surgery. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were modestly increased 8 hours after surgery. Mean arterial pH, PO2, and PCO2 values remained stable throughout the study.
CONCLUSIONS: Cavopulmonary assist is feasible in a neonatal animal model of total cavopulmonary diversion and univentricular Fontan circulation with acceptable pulmonary arterial pressures and without altering regional volume distribution or cardiac output. Pump-assisted cavopulmonary diversion, in combination with Norwood aortic arch reconstruction, could solve several major problems associated with a systemic shuntdependent univentricular circulation, including hypoxemia, impaired diastolic coronary perfusion, and ventricular volume overload.
The leading identifiable causes of death after the Norwood operation are inadequate coronary blood flow and either excessive or inadequate pulmonary blood flow, all of which are directly linked to the systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunt.7 Coronary perfusion, which normally occurs predominantly during diastole, shifts to a systolic-predominant pattern because of diastolic shunt runoff and ventricular volume overload and, as such, is further limited by increased myocardial wall tension.8 The recently described right ventricleto-pulmonary artery shunt addresses the important concern of impaired diastolic coronary perfusion; however, it does not alleviate the problems of hypoxemia, parallel circulations, and volume loading of the ventricle, which may in fact be made worse because of conduit insufficiency.9
Synthetic shunts have inherent issues, including thrombosis and subjectivity in selecting shunt length and diameter.4 Consequently, suboptimal outcomes in stage 1 Norwood physiology are often attributable to shunt-related problems. In contrast, stability and survival improve dramatically in patients after stage 2 and stage 3 palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a direct corollary to takedown of the systemic shunt and establishment of cavopulmonary blood flow.2
A principal obstacle to combining elements of the second- or third-stage procedures (or both) with the first-stage operation is the potential for increased pulmonary vascular resistance in the neonate.10 As currently practiced, a high-pressure source of pulmonary blood flow, via a systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunt, is required to overcome potentially increased pulmonary vascular resistance. It stands to reason that the ability to eliminate the problematic systemic arterial shunt and instead provide a systemic venous source of pulmonary blood flow would be of enormous benefit. We hypothesized that pump-assisted cavopulmonary diversion would yield stable pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics and maintain pulmonary gas exchange function in the neonate without altering systemic venous volume distribution or cardiac output. This concept was tested in a newborn animal model of total cavopulmonary diversion and univentricular Fontan circulation.
| Methods |
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Thirteen newborn lambs (mean weight, 5.6 ± 1.5 kg; mean age, 6.8 days; range, 3 to 15 days) underwent mask induction, followed by endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation with a Servo 900C volume-cycled respirator (Siemens, Danvers, Mass) with 100% oxygen and 0.7% to 1.5% isoflurane. Ventilation was maintained at 32 to 38 breaths per minute with tidal volumes of 12 to 15 mL/kg and 4 cm H2O positive end-expiratory pressure. Minor ventilator adjustments were made to maintain a PCO2 of approximately 35 mm Hg. Temperature was maintained at 38.5°C with a thermal pad.
A femoral arterial line (Intracath 16 gauge; Becton Dickinson, Sandy, Utah) was placed for systemic blood pressure monitoring. A femoral venous line was advanced to the infradiaphragmatic vena cava for measurement of systemic venous pressure. The heart was exposed through a median sternotomy, and the pericardium was suspended. The azygous vein and ductus arteriosus were ligated. Pressure-monitoring lines were placed in the left atrial appendage, distal main pulmonary artery, and proximal superior vena cava. An ultrasonic flowprobe (model 12A; Transonic Systems Inc, Ithaca, NY) was placed around the ascending aorta. Baseline systemic arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, left atrial pressure, vena caval pressure, and cardiac output were measured. Baseline activated clotting time, arterial blood gas, and lactate values were also obtained. Mean circulatory filling pressure, an indicator of unstressed systemic volume status, was measured in 5 animals by recording inferior vena caval pressure after 7 seconds of induced ventricular fibrillation.11
Total cavopulmonary diversion
After systemic heparinization (sodium heparin, 150 U/kg), purse-string sutures were placed in the superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, proximal main pulmonary artery, and right atrial appendage. A decompression cannula (left heart vent catheter, 13F; Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) was introduced through the right atrial appendage into the right ventricle for egress of thebesian and coronary venous blood. Bicaval venous (single-stage venous drainage cannula, 18F [inferior vena cava] and 14F [superior vena cava]; Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, Calif) and pulmonary arterial cannulation (pulmonary arterial cannula, 18F; A-Med Systems Inc, West Sacramento, Calif) was performed (Figure 1). The cannulas were connected to a miniature centrifugal pump (Paraflow; A-Med Systems Inc), and the circuit was deaired (volume, 45 mL). The pump was activated, and flow was gradually increased over several minutes. Pump output was titrated to match baseline cardiac output. Caval occlusion tourniquets were tightened to produce inflow occlusion to the right heart, and a vascular clamp was placed across the proximal main pulmonary artery to prohibit right ventricular contribution to pulmonary blood flow.
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Statistical analysis
Samples are reported as mean ± SD. Comparison of baseline values with 1- and 8-hour time points after initiation of cavopulmonary assist was performed with analysis of variance. Statistical analysis was performed with SigmaStat software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Ill).
| Results |
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| Discussion |
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Arterial lactate, base excess, and pH measurements indicate a trend toward metabolic acidosis over the course of the study. This suggests suboptimal systemic perfusion, but it did not affect overall hemodynamic stability. Baseline cardiac output in this model likely underestimates basal cardiac output in awake animals due to myocardial depressant effects of inhaled anesthetic. Because cavopulmonary assist pump output was matched to baseline cardiac output in the cavopulmonary assist period, this possibly contributed to inadequate systemic perfusion. The addition of inotropic support to maintain ventricular function could alleviate the problem of inadequate systemic perfusion.
Pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance increased significantly from baseline after pump flow was instituted. This was not unexpected given the high pulmonary vascular reactivity of the neonate, the presence of mild metabolic acidosis, and the continuous nature of pulmonary blood flow in contrast to physiologic pulsatile flow.14,15 Actual increases in pulmonary artery pressures were modest (<30% systemic pressure), and no extended periods of pulmonary hypertension (>50% systemic pressure) were observed. Furthermore, pulmonary vascular resistance decreased significantly through the last 6 hours of the study. The use of pulmonary vasodilators could lessen absolute pulmonary pressures to more closely approximate baseline.
An assumption that a reactive newborn pulmonary vasculature will yield a transpulmonary gradient prohibitive to Fontan circulation may be inaccurate if ideal cavopulmonary flow conditions are provided. In healthy neonates, pulmonary vascular resistance decreases precipitously to within 10% of adult baseline values within hours after birth and is maintained at these low levels despite the presence of the reactive transitional pulmonary substrate.16 The paradox of the Fontan circulation is that it produces simultaneous vena caval hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypotension.17 Theoretically, minimal hydraulic support would be required to overcome the 10 to 20 mm Hg cavopulmonary pressure gradient needed to augment flow from the systemic venous circulation to the pulmonary circulation and reverse the paradox. Implantable devices that have been developed for systemic circulatory support are capable of performing this task and may make it possible to overcome the potentially increased pulmonary vascular resistance of the neonate.
There are several compelling theoretical advantages underlying the rationale for cavopulmonary assist (Figure 3). Most importantly, the univentricular circulation is restored to one resembling 2-ventricle physiology with a series arrangement of the pulmonary and systemic circulations. The single ventricle is not subjected to volume overload and must pump only 1 ventricular output while a device supports the equivalent of right ventricular output. An early reduction of volume work has demonstrated benefit to long-term myocardial function for single-ventricle physiology.18,19 Coronary perfusion pressure, which is dependent on diastolic blood pressure, could theoretically be preserved.8 Partial pressure of oxygen can be maintained within the physiologically normal range without inducing circulatory balance instability, as seen in classic Norwood physiology. Fully oxygenated blood (PO2
80 mm Hg) improves myocardial performance, optimizes function of highly oxygen-dependent organ systems (eg, brain and kidney), and minimizes pulmonary vascular resistance, thus indirectly reducing the circulatory support requirement. Finally, the transitional pulmonary vasculature is not exposed to hypoxemia, and this prevents pathologic pulmonary vascular remodeling.6
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This work is highly theoretical, and any application to the clinical arena remains speculative. The concept could be applied either to partial (Glenn) cavopulmonary diversion or to total (Fontan) cavopulmonary diversion. The study is limited by the absence of true single-ventricle anatomy, and the functional ventricle is a morphologically left ventricle. One hundred percent inspired oxygen was used to show circulatory stability at high blood oxygen concentrations; this is not observed in stage 1 Norwood physiology. The decrease in diastolic blood pressure cannot be attributed to an anatomic cause, however, and, on the basis of our results, does not seem to be due to inadequate preload to the single ventricle or to low cardiac output. This is a serious limitation that seems to be related to the anesthetic regimen, a conservative fluid management strategy, and a lack of inotropic support in an intricate neonatal model of univentricular circulation. The steady flow conditions provided by the pump may have had detrimental effects on the pulmonary vasculature in comparison to pulsatile flow, and this will require additional study. Despite these limitations, this study demonstrates the feasibility of cavopulmonary assist in maintaining relative stability in an acute experimental model of newborn total cavopulmonary diversion and univentricular circulation.
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