High-Order Large Eddy Simulation of Flow in Idealized and Patient-Specific Total Cavopulmonary Connections

Abstract

The Fontan procedure is used in pediatric situations in which infants have complex congenital heart disease or a single effective ventricle. This procedure by-passes right heart by connecting the left and right pulmonary arteries (LPA/RPA) to the superior and inferior vena cavae (SVC/IVC). The resulting reconstructed anatomy is called total cavopulmonary connection or TCPC. Knowledge of fluid dynamics in TCPC helps in optimizing the connection itself for reduced resistance as well as aids in designing cavopulmonary assist devices like viscous impeller pump (VIP) [1].