Patient-specific computational fluid dynamic simulation of a bilateral bidirectional Glenn connection.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have been used to investigate the hemodynamic performance in cavopulmonary anastomosis and resulted in improved operative design. In this study, CFD simulations were performed in a patient-specific bilateral bidirectional Glenn (BBDG) connection model and the power losses as well as flow features at different levels of predetermined pulmonary flow splits were calculated and compared. The control volume power loss varied between 0.64 and 1.02 mW when the flow ratio of left pulmonary artery/right pulmonary artery changed from 80:20 to 20:80. The flow patterns within the connection area and the static pressures in the four vessels differed from each other as the pulmonary flow split changed. Power loss and flow patterns of this BBDG connection were influenced by the pulmonary flow split.