COMPUTER MODELING OF RESTENOSIS AND HEATING STENT THERMAL EFFECTS IN THE CORONARY ARTERY
N.Zdravkovic-Petrovic, D.Nikolic, Z.Milosevic, E.Themis, O.Parodi and N.Filipovic(UDC: 616.132.2-089.819:004.94)
Abstract:
The understanding and the prediction of the evolution of atherosclerotic plaques either into vulnerable plaques or into stable plaques are very important for the medical community. Stents in the coronary arteries are routinely used in the management of patients with angina or myocardial infarction where percutaneous coronary intervention is the clinically appropriate procedure.
In this study we analysed stent deployment in the specific patient and simulation of the temperature distribution for heating stent in the final position. Effective stress analysis in the stent and arterial wall may give better understanding of the process of restenosis. We did geometrical reconstruction of the coronary artery from combination of biplane angiography and intravascular ultrasound. Finite element method computations were performed to simulate the deployment of a stent and heating stent thermal effects in the coronary model.
In the arterial wall the maximal effective stress are found behind the stent and in the regions where the arterial wall was thinner. Temperature distribution during virtual stent heating shows maximal temperature around 48°C. It could be desired for the smooth muscle cells (SMC) inside the plaque which can die in apoptosis. These results suggest that we can make heating of the implanted stent to prevent restenosis.
