Comparison Of In Vivo And In Vitro Measurements Of Flow Parameters In Carotid Stenosis - Pilot Results Of Hemodynamic Phantom Testing

Aim: Atherosclerotic carotid artery disease is one of the most common causes of ischemic stroke. As the study of the progression and development of instability of atherosclerotic plaques in vivo is limited, data from in vitro studies can be used to clarify these processes. For these reasons, the authors constructed a hemodynamic model with the possibility of inserting the atherosclerotic plaque removed during carotid endarterectomy for the study of hemodynamics in the carotid bifurcation. The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to simulate flow parameters in the area of carotid bifurcation stenosis in the hemodynamic model comparable to the in vivo state before performing carotid endarterectomy. Intact atherosclerotic plaque was removed from the carotid artery during endarterectomy and inserted into a hemodynamic model. Methods: The study included 13 patients with carotid stenosis >= 50% indicated for carotid endarterectomy. The atherosclerotic plaques were removed from the carotid artery during carotid endarterectomy and inserted into the hemodynamic model. Results: The mean differences in the measured maximum and end-diastolic velocities in the area of stenosis in vivo before carotid endarterectomy and in vitro in the hemodynamic model after insertion of the removed atherosclerotic plaque were 18.9 cm/s (7.0%) and 8.2 cm/s (11.1%), respectively. Conclusion: The study confirmed the functionality of the hemodynamic model and its possible use for studying the hemodynamic changes in carotid stenosis area.