Elevation of placental vascular resistance (PVR) and depression of fetal gas exchange occurs after fetal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Excluding the placenta from the CPB circuit may protect the placental vasculature from the unwanted stimuli which lead to elevated PVR. To evaluate this approach, 9 isolated in-situ sheep placentas were placed on CPB by cannulating the umbilical vessels, with a mean umbilical artery flow of 214 ml/min/kg. After 30 minutes of stable flow, placental circulation was arrested for 30 minutes, simulating the umbilical vessel clamp time during whole body fetal CPB. Placental circulation was then restored to baseline values. Placental gas exchange and maternal placental blood flow were evaluated before and after arrest. Interruption of blood flow to the placenta for 30 minutes under normothermic conditions does not affect placental function or maternal placental blood flow. It may be possible to exclude the placenta from the circulation during fetal CPB as a mean of eliminating the detrimental effects of CPB on placental gas exchange. This model suggests an alternative way of designing a scheme for clinical fetal CPB which may avoid the negatives effects of CPB on the placenta.
fetal cardiopulmonary bypass; fetal surgery; placental function