Simulating the Effects of Embolic Coils on Cerebral Aneurysm Fluid Dynamics Using Finite Element Modeling

Endovascular coiling is the most common treatment for cerebral aneurysms. The treatment consists of deploying coils of different shapes and sizes into the aneurysm with the intent of reducing blood flow therein. While the treatment has been shown to be more effective than conventional surgical methods, it is successful in only 50–80% of cases, depending on the type of aneurysm [1]. Treatment success has been correlated with favorable post-treatment hemodynamics [2]. Understanding of the effects of coils on post-treatment hemodynamics is limited, however, due to limited in-vivo and in-vitro flow measurement techniques. Previous computational studies have also suffered from drastic assumptions about coil geometry.