Computational study of blood flow inside MCA aneurysm with/without endovascular coiling

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Aneurysms in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) pose a significant risk of rupture and hemorrhage.
• Endovascular coiling is a common treatment, but its effect on hemodynamics requires further investigation.
• Understanding blood flow dynamics is crucial for predicting aneurysm stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simulate blood flow hemodynamics within MCA aneurysms.
• To investigate the impact of endovascular coiling on aneurysm rupture risk.
• To analyze the influence of blood hematocrit and coiling porosity on hemodynamic parameters.

Main Methods:

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using Navier-Stokes equations.
• Modeling of unsteady, laminar, and non-Newtonian blood flow.
• Inclusion of varying blood hematocrit levels and coiling porosity in simulations.

Main Results:

• Endovascular coiling significantly alters blood flow patterns within the aneurysm.
• The study identified regions susceptible to rupture based on hemodynamic stress.
• Blood hematocrit showed a limited effect on maximum Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) in the MCA aneurysm model.

Conclusions:

• Endovascular coiling can modify hemodynamic forces, potentially reducing rupture risk.
• Hemodynamic simulations provide valuable insights into aneurysm behavior.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of hematocrit in MCA aneurysm rupture dynamics.