Computational Blood Flow Modelling Through Sutured and Coupled Microvascular Anastomoses
Microvascular surgical procedures used to join blood vessels for reconstructive surgery have become more advanced in recent years. The complexity of these operations is increasing rapidly and is intimately related to advances in technology of the materials involved and the science behind them.
Further developments may therefore be made by improving understanding of the intricate nature of local blood flow patterns at microvascular anastomotic sites. Computational fluid dynamics is being used to model blood flow through vessels joined with traditional sutures and a contemporary microvascular coupling device. New computational models of both arterial and venous anastomoses using the sutured technique and coupler method are being created.
Blood flow phenomena through arteries experiences greater variations in flow, composition and viscosity when compared to veins, which cause stress interactions at the suture lines. Both these interactions and the modified blood flow properties occurring due to, compliance of vessel walls is also being studied using an in-house elastic compliance model.