Predicting the Functional Impact of Residual Aortic Coarctation Lesions Using Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulations

Aortic coarctation is a congenital disease, characterized by a narrowing of the upper descending aorta, obstructing the blood flow from the heart towards the lower part of the body. The treatment can be minimally invasive using a stent and/or a balloon catheter to dilate the coarctation zone, or the narrow section can be removed surgically. Even after a successful treatment, a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remains. Two aspects contribute to this increased risk: (1) a residual narrowing, leading to an additional resistance in the arterial system and (2) a local stiffening after treatment, disturbing the buffer function of the aorta. Moreover, these residual narrowing and stiffening lead to an impedance mismatch and are a source of wave reflections that reach the heart fast, given the short distance to the heart.