A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON EXTERNAL COUNTERPULSATION SYSTEM: AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR FONTAN PATIENTS

Abstract

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON EXTERNAL COUNTERPULSATION SYSTEM: AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR FONTAN PATIENTS By Joseph J. Hernandez, B.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Director: Dr. Gerald E. Miller Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering In order to address the long-term complications that arise from poor venous return, a hallmark of the Fontan physiology, we assessed the feasibility of a non-invasive, home therapy that will improve the health of the patient during the heart transplant waiting period and ameliorate the quality of life. In order to achieve this goal we tested a device that applies pressure to the lower extremities of the body (legs and abdomen) in a pulsating fashion with the goal of augmenting systemic blood flow to the pulmonary arteries. This treatment will enhance flow from the great veins and through the lungs and serve as adjunctive clinical treatment of single ventricle physiology. The specific aim of this study was to show improvements in cardiorespiratory measurements after applying external pressure as a proxy for improved health in the Fontan patient. Various studies have shown the impaired exercise capacity of post-operative Fontan patients, but very