January 15, 2022 – Babies who are born with only one functioning heart ventricle must undergo a series of three surgeries to correct the problem. The final surgery establishes Fontan circulation, which reroutes the circulatory system. However, more than half of patients who undergo the procedure don’t live into adulthood. To reduce the negative health effects associated with the Fontan procedure, UCF researchers are developing a self-powered injection jet shunt that uses the heart’s own energy to alleviate the heightened internal pressure caused by the rerouted circulatory system.
