Optimizing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Parameters for Failure Prevention Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a surgical procedure aimed at improving blood circulation to the heart muscle in individuals with having coronary artery disease. This involves transplanting a healthy artery from elsewhere in the body to bypass a blocked coronary artery. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using ansysfluent software to examine the impact of CABG on partially blocked coronary arteries. This analysis considered laminar flow conditions with the application of the no-slip boundary condition and took into account the Reynolds number parameter, considering momentum and transport properties within the specified geometric, material, and physical constraints of blockage. This paper aims to mitigate coronary artery failure by optimizing surgical techniques and leveraging insights from failure studies. Here, the chosen model contributes to establishing optimal surgical protocols for CABG, ensuring the long-term patency of the graft. Through CFD analysis, blood flow dynamics in the artery postgrafting have been evaluated for varied parameters such as blockage size and position, constituting the optimization study. Through this study, optimal outcomes are achieved when the graft is positioned appropriately to maintain laminar flow conditions within the artery. The graft should be positioned with an accurate assessment of blockage size and shape to minimize the risk of heart failure due to reduced flow velocity and wall shear stress.