Blood Flow Disturbances Downstream of an Endovascular Stent Graft: An Investigation of Oversizing and Compliance Mismatch

Abstract

In current medical practice endovascular stents are the most common treatment used in the management of arterial disease, particularly to bridge blood flow through aneurysmal vessels. Despite their relative ease of implantation, they have been shown to incite harmful secondary issues which in the long-term negate these benefits. The alterations to the fluid dynamic forces which are incited by the stent play an important role in tissue healing, stent migration and by extension stent efficacy.

Using particle image velocimetry an experimental investigation was conducted to better understand the flow disturbances caused by stent introduction, specifically the flow pattern disturbances downstream of a Gianturco Z-Wire Stent-graft. This study measured changes in velocity profiles, turbulence intensities, wall shear stress, and the oscillatory shear index, which have all been shown to directly affect endothelial phenotype expression and consequently stent patency.