Construction and Evaluation of a Bio-Engineered Pump to Enable Subpulmonary Support of the Fontan Circulation: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Our objective was to create a bio-engineered pump (BEP) for subpulmonary Fontan circulation support capable of luminal endothelialization and producing a 2-6 mmHg pressure gradient across the device without flow obstruction. To accomplish this, porcine urinary bladder submucosa was decellularized to produce a urinary bladder matrix (UBM) which produced acellular sheets of UBM. The UBM was cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells producing a nearly confluent monolayer of cells with the maintenance of typical histologic features demonstrating UBM to be a suitable substrate for endothelial cells.

Renal dysfunction is associated with higher central venous pressures in patients with Fontan circulation.

Purpose: Elevated central venous pressure (CVP) has deleterious effects on several organ systems in patients with Fontan circulation. However, the relationship between CVP and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) has not been assessed in patients with Fontan circulation.

Methods: Patients with Fontan circulation whose hemodynamics were assessed by catheterization between 1987 and 2015 and had a serum creatinine measured within 72 hours prior to the procedure were included for analysis.