Preclinical Validation of a Patient-Specific Patch-Planning Workflow for Congenital Cardiovascular Reconstruction

Patient-specific surgical patch planning was examined in the context of congenital cardiovascular reconstruction. Finite-element and analytical models were applied to relate patch geometry to post-repair vessel diameter in simulated branch pulmonary artery stenosis. Central to the workflow is heart valve material quantification, where pediatric heart valve biomechanics are represented using experimentally derived mechanical properties. Mechanical inputs were obtained from biaxial mechanical testing and incorporated into virtual 3D vessel models that account for pressure-dependent expansion and suture interaction. Neonatal and child-scale silicone artery models were fabricated to evaluate the approach using different patch materials, including silicone, pericardium, and porcine tissue. Predicted patch dimensions were compared with reconstructed geometries to assess agreement with target vessel size. The workflow provides a translational biomechanics framework for linking mechanical testing data with surgical decisions in pediatric cardiology.