Biventricular Repair of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Hemodynamic Effects of Intraventricular Balloon Pumping in Neonatal Piglets

Maria Celia Raquel Lopez
Master’s of Applied Science in Clinical Engineering, 2007
Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
University of Toronto

ABSTRACT

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a group of congenital heart abnormalities characterized by the underdevelopment of the left heart. Current HLHS management options are solely palliative and thus there is need for an alternative approach. This thesis reports on intraventricular balloon pumping as a potential approach to biventricular repair of HLHS. It is based on the postulate that actuation of an intraventricular balloon within the left ventricle can induce pressure overloading and volume overloading, which can lead to ventricular wall growth and chamber expansion resulting in a ventricle capable of providing systemic circulation. A neonatal piglet animal model was used to investigate the acute effect of intraventricular balloon pumping on hemodynamics. Pressure overloading and volume overloading conditions were maintained over two hours without producing macroscopic damage to the left ventricular structures.