CFD for peripheral artery disease
from Color For Doctors to Clinical Flow Disruption
Lennart van de Velde is a PhD student in the department Multi-Modality Medical Imaging. (Co)Promotors are prof.dr. M. Versluis, prof.dr. M.M.P.J. Reijnen and dr. E. Groot Jebbink from the faculty of Science & Technology.
In this thesis the application of computer models was investigated for improving the treatment of calcified arteries in the lower limb. The computer models provide an in-depth view of the blood flow in arteries. The models were used to investigate how and to what extent the blood flow is disturbed in case of a narrowed and widened artery. The impact of stents on the blood flow in patients was also assessed, which provided a novel explanation for why stents in the lower limb artery can become occluded. This is a serious complication that can lead to a cold and painful limb weeks or months after an -initially- successful treatment.
The computational models were successfully validated with measurements in patients during minimally invasive interventions of diseased arteries. The models can help determine if invasive treatment of a diseased artery is needed, and can thus be used to prevent unnecessary, risky interventions. With further developments, the models can be used during surgical planning to virtually assess the effect of various treatment options such as balloon inflation and stent placement in a patient, in order to select the treatment option that provides the best hemodynamic outcome for that patient.
