Hemodynamic consequences of post-stenting geometry at the vertebral artery origin: A patient-specific fluid–structure interaction study

This study employs a bidirectional fluid–structure interaction (FSI) numerical simulation method to investigate the hemodynamic consequences of stent-induced geometrical changes at the origin of the vertebral artery. The stent itself is not explicitly modeled; instead, postoperative and virtually modified lumen geometries are used to represent the morphological outcomes of stenting. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography imaging data from a patient provided by the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were utilized to construct personalized vertebral artery geometric models. Based on the postoperative model, virtual surgical scenarios were simulated by expanding the stented segment inward and outward by 0.2 mm, generating virtual postoperative vertebral artery geometric models. Hemodynamic parameters of four vertebral artery geometries were obtained and analyzed through bidirectional FSI numerical simulations, providing an in-depth exploration of the specific hemodynamic impacts of stent implantation at the vertebral artery origin. Although preliminary and based on a single patient, this study provides initial insights that may inform future research on optimizing vascular stent treatment strategies, particularly regarding the regulation of stent expansion rates.