Atrial connections in a single-unit total artificial heart (TAH) may b
e difficult to make because of the rigidity of the device and the fixe
d position of the atrial inlets. We developed a technique to separate
the natural atrial borders in an experimental implantation of a unitar
y TAH. In this technique, the interatrial groove was dissected to sepa
rate the posterior wall of the right atrium from the roof of the left
atrium before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was initiated. After initia
tion of CPB and cardiectomy, the atrial septum was separated completel
y, and the right atrial wall was reconstructed with glutaraldehyde-tre
ated autopericardium. We believe that this simple adjunctive technique
provides increased mobility of the atrial cuffs and allows for an eas
ier connection of the unitary TAH.