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On the comparison between pre- and post-surgery nasal anatomies via computational fluid dynamics
Eric Segalerba1, Gabriele Dini Ciacci2, Maurizio Quadrio3
1Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genova, Via Montallegro, 1, 16145, Genoa, Italy.
Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology
|October 30, 2023
Summary
Nasal breathing difficulties require accurate diagnosis and surgical planning. This study shows that the method used to simulate airflow significantly impacts the comparison of pre-operative and post-operative nasal anatomy outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Respiratory Physiology
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Nasal breathing difficulties (NBD) are common and challenging to diagnose, with high surgical failure rates.
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used for NBD diagnosis and surgical planning by comparing pre-operative and post-operative virtual surgery outcomes.
- Current comparison methods assume consistent results across different anatomical assessments, highlighting a gap in understanding respiratory function drivers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a standardized and meaningful comparison methodology for nasal airway analysis using CFD.
- To investigate the impact of different global flow constraints on the comparison of pre-operative and post-operative nasal anatomies.
- To determine the most appropriate flow constraint for accurate assessment of nasal breathing function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized CT scans to create patient-specific pre-operative nasal anatomies.
- Performed virtual surgery to generate post-operative anatomies.
- Employed state-of-the-art CFD simulations for steady inspiration under three global constraints: constant pressure drop (CPD), constant flow rate (CFR), and constant power input (CPI).
Main Results:
- Significant differences in key outcome metrics (flow rate, pressure drop, nasal resistance) were observed based on the type of flow constraint applied.
- Both global and local airflow characteristics were affected by the chosen simulation constraint.
- The constant pressure drop (CPD) method was found to be the least adequate for comparing surgical outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The choice of flow constraint in CFD simulations critically influences the assessment of nasal airway function and the evaluation of surgical interventions.
- Constant flow rate (CFR) and constant power input (CPI) are more suitable constraints for meaningful comparisons in NBD diagnosis and surgical planning.
- Standardizing simulation parameters is essential for reliable interpretation of CFD results in rhinology.
