N.V. Thuramalla, W.I. Douglas, and C.F. Knapp (USA)
SVP, HLHS, Adjustable SPA shunt, Load-Displacement relations
Adjustable systemic to pulmonary artery shunt is being developed to maintain appropriate balance between the systemic and pulmonary flows in infants with single ventricle physiology. Regulation of pulmonary blood flow in first-stage palliative surgery (Norwood procedure) is one of the most important factors for the treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Effect of internal pressure in an unconstrained and constrained shunt on the forces required to cause a desired constriction in the pressurized shunt are investigated using finite element analysis. Preliminary results presented clearly indicate that the forces required to deform a pressurized shunt are considerably higher in the constrained case when compared to the unconstrained case. But the variation in the internal pressure had a negligible effect on the forces required in both the cases.
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