Title: Computational Tools for the Analysis of Long-term Stability of
Abdominal Aortic Endografts
Abstract:
Endovascular repair has greatly reduced the perioperative morbidity
and mortality of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair compared to open
surgeries. However, endovascular stent-grafts are exposed to a number
of clinical complications, such as endograft migration (i.e., loss of
positional stability), stent fractures and endoleaks (i.e.,
persistence of blood flow into the aneurysm sac after device
placement). These complications may result in life-threatening and
costly events such as aneurysm growth, rupture, need for secondary
procedures, and constant follow-up with imaging studies. Understanding
the biomechanical environment experienced by endografts in-vivo is a
critical factor to improve their performance. In this work, we combine
computational solid mechanics and computational fluid mechanics tools
together with patient-specific clinical and imaging data to
characterize the performance of abdominal endografts in vivo. In
particular, we evaluate the loads that blood flow exerts on the device
and the fixation response of the endograft in the proximal (aortic
neck) and distal (iliac bifurcation) fixation zones. Combining
CFD-derived loads, contact mechanics analyses of the device fixation
to the aorta, and clinical data regarding endograft migration, we aim
to assess the overall risk of migration of an implanted device.