Simbios
 

Simbios Talk by Alberto Figueroa, Stanford University, May 5, 2010

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.