Coronary Artery Hemodynamics

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death in the US and worldwide. Approximately half a million patients each year undergo coronary bypass graft surgery in the US. Among these, approximately 70% of patients receive a saphenous vein graft.   The failure rate of vein grafts is appxoimately 50% within 10 years post-surgery, and there is a pressing clinical need to understand the biomechanical mechanisms of these failures. We are performing patient specific modeling of coronary bypass graft patients from CT image data to elucidate mechanical conditions in grafts of different origin. We employ virtual surgery to compare performance and hemodynamic conditions of alternate graft configurations in a patient specific setting.     

Funding:   NIH NHLBI 

Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a serious pediatric illness affecting the cardiovascular system.    If caught early, it is highly treatable, but if not promptly diagnosed and treated it can result in irreversible damage to the heart and coronary arteries.  One of the most serious complications of Kawasaki diesease, occuring in about 25% of untreated cases, is the formation of large aneurysms in the coronary arteries.  In this project, we are performing patient specific simulations of blood flow in coronary aneurysms of Kawasaki patients to gain understanding of hemodynamics, evaluate patients risk of thrombosis, and improve clinical treatment strategies. 

Funding:  American Heart Association, NSF CAREER