Single Ventricle Circulation 1.0

This application offers a comprehensive model of circulation throughout the three stages of surgical palliation for patients with single ventricle physiology, commonly referred to as the Fontan sequence. It serves as an educational resource tailored for medical students and individuals interested in congenital heart defects. The application enables users to explore various standard surgical procedures and medical treatments, while also monitoring their impact on clinical parameters such as blood pressure and oxygen delivery under both resting and exercise conditions. Additionally, it allows for the prediction of immediate post-surgical outcomes.

The app presents data in both tabular formats and visual representations, including time-based blood pressure and flow waveforms, as well as ventricular pressure-volume loops. It is designed to enhance understanding by illustrating real-time changes in cardiovascular dynamics following specific interventions.

This tool is associated with our publication in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (JTCVS), which elaborates on the circulation models utilized, along with relevant abbreviations and settings. The article provides insights into the mechanics of the model and presents a partial validation of its outputs against clinical measurements obtained from 47 patients. As the handheld device referenced in that paper, the app offers default circulation values that can be customized by users to simulate various clinical scenarios or patient-specific predictions. Further details regarding the foundation of the circulation model are referenced in our JTCVS publication.

(1) Conover, T., Hlavacek, A.M., Migliavacca, F. et al. An interactive simulation tool for patient-specific clinical decision support in single ventricle physiology. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018; 155: 712–721