Multi-scale modeling of single ventricle hearts for clinical decision support
- Tain-Yen HSIA, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (UK)
- Richard FIGLIOLA, Clemson University (USA)
- Edward BOVE, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
- Marc de LEVAL, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (UK)
- Anthony HLAVACEK, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (USA)
- Alison MARSDEN, University of California, San Diego (USA)
- Francesco MIGLIAVACCA, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
- Andrew TAYLOR, University College London Institute of Child Health (UK)
- Irene VIGNON-CLEMENTEL, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique, Paris (France)
- G. Hamilton BAKER, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (USA)
- Adam DORFMAN, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
- Gabriele DUBINI, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
- Alessandro GIARDINI, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (UK)
- Sachin KHAMBADKONE, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London (UK)
- John McGREGOR, Clemson University (USA)
- Giancarlo PENNATI, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
- Silvia SCHIEVANO, University College London Institute of Child Health (UK)
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a congenital heart condition in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped. Children born with HLHS typically undergo three stages of corrective surgery during the first few years of life to enable the heart to function with only two chambers, instead of the usual four. Additional interventions later in life are often required. As is the case for most complex congenital heart conditions, choosing the appropriate treatment for HLHS is challenging because the severity of the anatomic abnormalities, as well as the circulatory changes that develop over time, are unique to each patient. A computer model that could allow physicians to simulate operations and observe their effects, using parameters specific to the patient in question, would thus be invaluable in guiding clinical decisions.
This network will create such a virtual model. The network will acquire clinical data from HLHS patients using echocardiography, CT, MRI, and cardiac catheterization. Computer models will be constructed on the local (cardiopulmonary circulation) as well as the global (incorporating the entire body) scale. The network will then clinically validate the models and develop software for widespread use. While it would be difficult for a single institution to assemble expertise in pediatric cardiology, surgery, imaging, engineering and computer science, formation of a transatlantic network leverages the combined strengths of the different investigators and institutions for such an ambitious multidisciplinary project.