ABSTRACT
The alterations in the blood flow pattern in a diseased carotid artery after treatment with a stent were analyzed. Realistic patient-specific computational models were constructed from pre- and post-stenting 3D rotational angiography (3DRA) images. Pre-stenting flow conditions were obtained from phase-contrast magnetic resonance (PC-MR) measurements. Post-stenting flow conditions were estimated from the pre-stenting flows measured on the contralateral side. A sensitivity of the post-stenting results with respect to the prescribed flow conditions was carried out. In this particular patient, the stent reduces the shear stress in the region of the stenosis, but also produces flow disturbances near the proximal end of the stent. This type of simulation can potentially be used to assess the outcome of endovascular interventions.