Effect of rotary blood pump failure on left ventricular energetics assessed by mathematical modeling

In this study, we used a mathematical model to study the influence of backflow through a failing rotary blood pump. We performed simulations based on animal experiments that were published earlier by Nishida et al., who used the Medos Microdiagonal pump to assess the acute effect of sudden pump failure. The mathematical model consists of validated cardiac and arterial modules and a pump module. We could evaluate the influence of pump failure with mechanoenergetic parameters and wall stress obtained from model output. Simulations were performed at baseline and after 15 min of backflow in a control group and a heart failure group. Simulation results agreed well with the experiment. Stroke volume, aortic flow, and stress time integral increased significantly because of pump failure. However, total systemic flow and arterial pressure were not altered by backflow, and a life-threatening situation did not appear.