Finite element analysis of the percutaneous coronary intervention in a coronary bifurcation.

PURPOSE: The paper presents the process of numerical modeling and simulation of balloon angioplasty of the coronary artery using Finite Element Method.

METHODS: The authors focused on the issue of applying adequate pressure in an arterial tissue during the post-dilatation process in the "kissing balloon" stenting technique applied to patients with bifurcation stenosis. Despite great progress in the field of interventional cardiology, angioplasty in bifurcations still belongs to the most difficult interventions, generally being less effective and more risky than in the cases of straight stenosis.

RESULTS: During the modeling procedures and further simulations, the authors focused on mutual cooperation of non-compliant angioplasty balloons and the coronary artery. The other goal was to develop a sufficiently accurate model of the coronary artery fragment, including its bifurcation and angioplasty balloons; however, it was decided to ignore the modeling of coronary stents.

CONCLUSIONS: The issue undertaken is considered as relatively complicated and complex but, in the authors' opinion, the implementation of advanced computer aided engineering techniques may, in this case, answer several important questions without the need of performing costly and aggravating in vivo tests.