Shear-driven modelling of thrombus formation in type B aortic dissection

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) is a life-threatening condition with high mortality, often involving false lumen (FL) dilation and rupture.
• Complete FL thrombosis is crucial for improving patient outcomes in chronic TBAD, making it a key therapeutic goal.
• Understanding the conditions for FL thrombosis is vital for risk stratification and treatment planning in TBAD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simplified, computationally efficient model for predicting FL thrombosis in TBAD.
• To assess the model's accuracy by comparing predictions with clinical follow-up data in a post-TEVAR TBAD case.

Main Methods:

• Developed a simplified phenomenological model for FL thrombosis based on an existing shear-driven model.
• Performed model reduction to enhance computational efficiency.
• Implemented the reduced model in Ansys CFX and applied it to a TBAD case post-thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Main Results:

• The model accurately predicted FL thrombus location and volume, showing excellent agreement with a 3-year follow-up CT scan.
• Achieved a significant reduction in computational time (approx. 65%) compared to the previous model.
• Demonstrated the model's potential for clinical applicability due to improved efficiency and accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The developed thrombosis model accurately and efficiently predicts FL thrombosis using patient-specific data.
• This validated model can aid clinicians in selecting individualized treatment strategies for TBAD patients.
• The model represents a significant advancement towards clinical application in managing Type B aortic dissection.