In vitro pulsatile flow visualization on extracardiac conduits for the right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction: qualitative considerations.

Valved homograft conduits play an important role in the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction for the surgical treatment of complex congenital heart disease. An excellent immediate rather than long-term outcome could be obtained. The hemodynamics for late failure, however, remained unclear. In vitro pulsatile flow visualization was not conducted before. A simplified right heart duplicator system was set up and driven under physiologic conditions. Polystyrene of 0.18 mm in diameter was applied as the tracing particle. Flow characteristics of models of normal pulmonary circulation as well as pulmonary artery atresia with the RVOT reconstructed utilizing valved and non-valved extracardiac conduits were observed. Flow patterns in the normal pulmonary circulatory model were mainly of axial flow associated with small scope of flow disturbances. A single vortex in the right ventricle was noted in diastole. In the pulmonary artery atresia model, a couple of vortexes were found in the right ventricle, a secondary flow in the main pulmonary artery, and a stronger secondary flow than in the normal pulmonary circulatory model in the two branches in both systole and diastole. A secondary flow was found in the proximal, an axial flow was observed in the distal portion of the extracardiac conduit with normal bioprosthetic valves and a secondary flow was observed in the entire conduit with stenotic bioprosthetic valves. The secondary flow intensity became stronger with the development of the stenosis. Severe insufficiency occurred in the bileaflet ceramic tilting-disc prosthesis during the entire cardiac circle, i.e., the prosthesis was in a maximum open position. Severe reverse flow could be found in the extracardiac conduit in the deceleration phase. Concavity of the crank shaft was found by examination to be filled with tracing particles and the prosthesis became stuck. Model of RVOT reconstruction with non-valved conduit yielded reverse flow inside the extracardiac conduit as well. Secondary flow may occur in normal or diseased extracardiac conduit for RVOT reconstruction. If micro-thrombus of over 0.18 mm in diameter attached in the concave of the crank shaft of a bileaflet tilting-disc prosthesis under a condition of resistance as occurred in the present study, the prosthesis may become stuck. Model of RVOT reconstruction with non-valved extracardiac conduit yielded reverse flow inside the conduit, of which the flow pattern was of greater energy consumption. Thus, a non-valved conduit should be avoided in clinical practice as far as possible.