EFFECTIVE CROSS-CIRCULATION TECHNIQUE OF VENOARTERIAL BYPASS FOR DIFFERENTIAL HYPOXIA CONDITION

We examined a new technique of cross-circulation (CC) venoarterial byp ass (VAB) with femoral arterial perfusion and superior vena cava drain age through a long femoral venous cannula. Six adult mongrel dogs weig hing 15 to 20 kg underwent the CC-VAB with oxygenation after introduct ion of respiratory failure (RF). The flow of the CC-VAB was maintained at half the level of the control cardiac output, and the hemodynamic parameters were monitored. To evaluate hypoxia in the upper body, the arterial partial pressure of oxygen (Pao, [mm Hg]) in the carotid arte ry and the venous saturation of oxygen (Svo(2), [%]) in the pulmonary artery were measured during control, RF, standard VAB, and CC-VAB cond itions. The Pao, decreased significantly after the introduction of RF (41.7 +/- 12.3), and it returned to normal levels only after CC-VAB (1 51.2 +/- 23.5, p < 0.05). The Svo(2) during CC-VAB (98.6 +/- 2.1) was significantly higher than that during VAB without CC (53.5 +/- 3.3, p < 0.05). These results suggest that this cross-circulation technique c ould be applied to patients with differential hypoxia during femoral V AB with oxygenation or percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS).