Authors
Ashiqur Rahman, Sheikh Mohammad Shavik
Publication date
2024/6/10
Journal
Available at SSRN 4859369
Description
Plaques in the coronary arteries decrease the ability of the heart to provide sufficient blood flow to itself, potentially leading to a heart attack under severe circumstances. In this study, transient CFD simulations are performed on the left coronary artery with actual spatial geometry. Areas with time-averaged wall shear stress below 0.5 Pa are identified as vulnerable areas for atherosclerosis. The left coronary circumflex (LCX) is detected as the most vulnerable area. The flow pattern, as well as fractional flow reserve (FFR), is examined for unobstructed and six varying degrees of stenosed condition at LCX. FFR decreases rapidly if the stenosis percentage is more than 55%, whereas an 80% stenosed condition is found to be critical. The alteration in pressure distribution is used to evaluate how stenosis impacted other branches. For distal branches of the left anterior descending artery, the pressure drop in the stenosed condition is within 5% of the healthy pressure drop indicating low impact on these branches. This modeling method has the potential to simulate various pathological scenarios, thus assisting medical professionals in making more informed decisions without resorting to invasive procedures.
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