Continuous-flow total artificial heart: hemodynamic and pump-related changes associated with posture in a chronic calf model

• Published in: Journal of artificial organs Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 256 - 259
• Main Authors: Kado, Yuichiro, Byram, Nicole, Miyamoto, Takuma, Horvath, David J., Kuban, Barry D., Sale, Shiva, Fukamachi, Kiyotaka, Karimov, Jamshid H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01-09-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Aorta; Artificial organs; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Blood pressure; Brief Communication; Calves; Cardiac Surgery; Cattle; Heart, Artificial; Hemodynamics; Hemodynamics - physiology; Implantation; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mercury; Nephrology; Parameters; Posture; Posture - physiology; Sitting position; Vascular Resistance - physiology; Equipment design; Animal model; Blood flow physiology; Cardiac output; Heart-assist devices; Mechanical circulatory support
• ISSN: 1434-7229; 1619-0904
• DOI: 10.1007/s10047-019-01105-7

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of posture (sitting [lying down]/standing) on hemodynamic and pump-related parameters in calves implanted with our institution’s continuous-flow total artificial heart (CFTAH). These parameters were analyzed with posture information in four calves that had achieved the intended 14-, 30-, or 90-day durations of implantation. In each animal, postoperative hourly data gathered throughout the study were used to compare average values with the animal sitting vs. standing. Pump flow became significantly higher in the standing than sitting position at the same pump speed (standing 7.9 ± 0.8, sitting 7.4 ± 1.0 L/min,
p
 = 0.028). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and aortic pressure (AoP) were significantly lower in the standing than sitting position (SVR standing 779 ± 145, sitting 929 ± 206 dyne s/cm
5
,
p
 = 0.027; AoP standing 93 ± 7, sitting 103 ± 7 mm Hg,
p
 < 0.001). No substantial change occurred in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) or pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) with posture (PVR standing 161 ± 39, sitting 164 ± 48 dyne s/cm
5
,
p
 = 0.639; PAP standing 32 ± 3, sitting 33 ± 4 mm Hg,
p
 = 0.340). Posture affected some hemodynamic and pump-related parameters in calves with CFTAH, with implications for patients with implanted pumps.