Key result
Computational modeling shows atrial wall stiffness influences LAA occluder positioning and hemodynamics.
Why the study?
Atrial fibrillation carries a high risk of thromboembolism, often mitigated by left atrial appendage occlusion when anticoagulation is contraindicated.
A novel multiphysics computational framework can assess mechanical and hemodynamic outcomes of LAAO device deployment, offering insights into patient-specific thrombogenic risk.
Feasibility of patient-specific CFD-FE LAAO modeling shown in one case; leaves open whether it improves device selection or outcomes.
Atrial fibrillation is associated with a high risk of thromboembolic events, often mitigated by left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) when anticoagulation is contraindicated. This study presents a patient-informed computational workflow integrating pre-operative computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element (FE) modeling of device deployment, and post-operative CFD informed by the FE-deformed configuration. A proof-of-concept case was analyzed considering three atrial wall stiffness values to explore biomechanical variability. Pre-implant CFD simulations identified regions of blood stasis within the left atrial appendage, highlighting areas of thrombotic risk. FE simulations of device deployment demonstrated that wall stiffness influenced device positioning, orientation, and contact with the atrial anatomy. Post-implant CFD analyses, incorporating both the FE-informed device configuration and two fabric reconstruction strategies (conformal vs. detached), revealed flow redirection and changes in wall shear stress consistent with effective occlusion and the impact of fabric variability. Overall, the proposed workflow enabled a coherent assessment of mechanical and hemodynamic outcomes, providing insights into how anatomical and biomechanical factors affect post-operative LA hemodynamics. This multiphysics approach offers a step toward a patient-informed computational framework for assessing device deployment and thrombogenic risk under complete occlusion conditions.
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Fanni et al. (2026) studied Atrial fibrillation (n=1). Computational workflow integrating CFD and FE modeling was evaluated on Mechanical and hemodynamic outcomes. A computational workflow integrating fluid dynamics and finite element modeling demonstrated that atrial wall stiffness influences left atrial appendage occluder positioning and hemodynamics.
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