Computational Haemodynamics—An Introduction - Computational Hemodynamics: Theory, Modelling and Applications - page 12

Fig. 1.10 Comparison of the wall shear stress ( WSS ) distribution in the stenosed and the recon-
structed normal carotid bifurcation. Comparison of the wall shear stress distribution in the stenosed
and the reconstructed healthy carotid bifurcations demonstrate the difference between diseased and
reconstructed normal arteries. WSS is higher in the stenosed region ( left ) than in the reconstructed
healthy carotid models ( right ). Reverse engineering can dilate the stenosis and restore the lumen
to normal diameter and distribute the WSS more evenly throughout the artery. It is observed that
a more uniform WSS distribution is found throughout the reconstructed healthy arterial regions,
which confirms superior haemodynamics performance as compared to the stenosed artery

1.3.6 Surgical Treatment of Atherosclerotic Arteries

The coronary stent device is an expandable tube-like device that is inserted into a
vessel to treat localized stenosis in the arteries. With the rapid development of medi-
cal technology, stenting has been a feasible intervention method to prevent stroke or
ischemia 1 caused by atherosclerotic arteries during the last decades. The total global
market for intravascular stenting, including in vitro cardio intervention device and
related consumables has been estimated at US $ 6.12 billion per annum, with a
market growth potential of 3.4 % per year (Greenemeier 2008).
Drug-eluting stents (DESs) have decreased restenosis rates compared to bare
metal stents (BMSs). For example, DESs have restenosis rates in the range of 6-8 %
(Leon et al. 2009; Stone et al. 2011). Low WSS is correlated to neointimal hyper-

1 Ischemia is typically caused by damage or dysfunction of blood vessels resulting in restriction of
blood supply and causing a shortage of oxygen and glucose to keep tissues alive.