Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Hemodynamic Changes Induced by Coronary Stenting in Vivo

Intravascular coronary stents have been a clinically accepted means of treating coronary artery disease (CAD) since the mid 1980\u27s. Restenosis is the unfavorable reoccurrence of luminal narrowing after stent implantation and has been associated with coronary stenting since the introduction of the procedure. Recent studies suggest that shear stress distributions imparted on the vessel wall may be a function of stent geometry and could explain variations in restenosis rates between different stent types. Therefore, this thesis will examine if acute stent implantation causes marked changes in global and local hemodynamic indices in vivo. Secondly, the in vivo data will be used as input to a computational modeling procedure illustrating how stent geometry causes localized alterations in shear stress