Competitive flow of bilateral internal thoracic artery Y-graft: Insights from hemodynamics and transit time flow measurement parameters

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated the superior efficacy of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafts compared to other graft methods in treating coronary artery disease. Competitive flow (CF) is a primary factor contributing to graft failure in the long term. For the first time, the CF of the BITA-Y graft has undergone rigorous numerical analysis. Through the application of transit time flow measurement (TTFM) and hemodynamic parameters, this study provides a new perspective on graft performance. Simulation results indicate that average flow, TTFM, and hemodynamic parameters fall within the critical range for stenosis severities below 90%. Specifically, at 80% stenosis, the mean graft flow (MGF) and pulsatility index (PI) of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) were 0.071 cc/s and 27, respectively, while those of the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) were 0.211 cc/s and 11. With increasing stenosis severity, TTFM parameters remained within the clinical permissible limit (MGF > 0.34 cc/s and PI < 5). At 95% stenosis severity, the MGF and PI for LITA were 0.526 cc/s and 1.2, respectively, while those for RITA were 0.790 cc/s and 0.9. The results indicate the presence of competitive flow within the BITA-Y graft for stenosis severities below 90% area reduction, suggesting a potential risk of graft failure in the long term. Additionally, the results indicated that when there are significant differences in stenosis severity between the two native arteries, the BITA-Y graft is not optimal due to CF, characterized by low MGF and high reverse flow.