Noninvasive Fluid Dynamic Power Loss Assessments for Total Cavopulmonary Connections Using the Viscous Dissipation Function: A Feasibility Study

The total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) has shown great promise as an effective palliation for single-ventricle congenital heart defects. However, because the procedure results in complete bypass of the right-heart, fluid dynamic power losses may play a vital role in postoperative patient success. Past research has focused on determining power losses using control volume methods. Such methods are not directly applicable clinically without highly invasive pressure measurements. This work proposes the use of the viscous dissipation function as a tool for velocity gradient based estimation of fluid dynamic power loss. To validate this technique, numerical simulations were conducted in a model of the TCPC incorporating a 13.34 mm (one caval diameter) caval offset and a steady cardiac output of 2 Ls˙min−1. Inlet flow through the superior vena cava was 40 percent of the cardiac output, while outflow through the right pulmonary artery (RPA) was varied between 30 and 70 percent, simulating different blood flow distributions to the lungs. Power losses were determined using control volume and dissipation function techniques applied to the numerical data. Differences between losses computed using these techniques ranged between 3.2 and 9.9 percent over the range of RPA outflows studied. These losses were also compared with experimental measurements from a previous study. Computed power losses slightly exceeded experimental results due to different inlet flow conditions. Although additional experimental study is necessary to establish the clinical applicability of the dissipation function, it is believed that this method, in conjunction with velocity gradient information derived from imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, can provide a noninvasive means of assessing power losses within the TCPC in vivo.