In Vitro Viscoelastic Flow Measurements of a Pediatric End-to-Side Anastomosis to the 12cc Penn State Ventricular Assist Device

Congenital cardiovascular defects are the leading cause of infant mortality due to birth defects, accounting for 29% of all birth defect-related infant deaths [1]. Each year over 35,000 babies are born with heart defects in the United States. A quarter of these patients require invasive treatment [2]. Although transplantation has proven to be a viable option for recovery, it is limited by an inadequate supply of donor organs. The average wait time for a transplant in 2005 was 107 days, and without the availability of transplants, approximately 40% of infants in need of a cardiovascular transplant may die [3,4].