A comparative analysis of coronary bypass implants: Experimental and fluid-structure interaction analysis

Bypass surgery is a commonly employed method for treating coronary artery diseases, involving the use of grafts to bypass occluded arteries. However, graft occlusion remains a concern due to mechanical disparities between the grafts and native arteries. This study aims to compare the mechanical properties of three frequently used grafts in coronary bypass surgeries: human saphenous veins, mammary arteries, and radial arteries. Stress-relaxation tests were conducted on samples obtained from these vessels, and their mechanical properties were characterized. The stress–strain curves of each sample were fitted using the quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) model, with MATLAB software used to extract the model's constants. Additionally, fluid–structure simulations were performed employing the extracted viscoelastic mechanical properties of the vessels. The analysis revealed that the saphenous vein exhibited the highest elastic coefficient (0.5247) and non-linearity coefficient (0.8135) among the studied grafts. The mammary artery demonstrated nearly seven times greater viscoelasticity compared to the other graft options. Furthermore, the examination of shear stress distribution indicated lower shear stress regions in the radial and mammary artery specimens compared to the saphenous specimens. Notably, the lower wall of the host artery exhibited the greatest oscillatory shear index (OSI), with the radial specimen displaying the highest oscillation in this region compared to the other two specimens. The mechanical characterization results presented in this study hold potential applications in pathogenic and clinical investigations of heart diseases, aiding in the development of appropriate treatment approaches.