The role of additional pulmonary blood flow in the cavopulmonary anastomosis

The bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (BCPA) is an operation often performed on children with functionally single ventricles, and is meant to prepare a future total cavopulmonary anastomosis. In the circulation ensuing from a BCPA, the lower circulation is external to the lung perfusion, with a propensity to low oxygen saturation, being only oxygenated by the mixing with the blood from the pulmonary veins, in the right atrium. A study is presented of the role of an additional pulmonary blood flow on the oxygen saturation, by means of a lumped parameter model. Keywords— Cardiac surgery, congenital heart disease, univentricular circulation, mathematical modelling