A NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF BLOOD DISTURBANCES IN A STENTED ARTERIAL SEGMENT: FLAT VS. CYLINDRICAL MOCK-UPS

摘要

Today cardiac complications are the leading cause of death in the developed world. Millions of people suffer from cardiovascular disease, with most of the cases caused by or related to atherosclerosis. Historically, blood flow in stenosed arteries has been restored by means of balloon angioplasty. In 1987 stents were introduced to the procedure in order to provide structural support to the diseased artery.Although stents have been successful in reducing the restenosis rates after balloon angioplasty, they have failed to solve the problem in its entirety. After implantation, the initial inflammatory and thrombotic reaction, which is attenuated with the use of strong anthithrombogenic regimes, is followed by an aggressive response from the cells in the arterial wall.