Numerical Investigation of the Hemodynamics Characteristics in Coronary Bifurcation Region with Different Dual Stent Implantation Techniques

The prevalence of coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL) in the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was reported to be approximately 15-20 % [Steigen (2006)]. The complex surgical techniques and the high incidence of restenosis make the treatment of CBL is still one of the most challenging fields in PCI. Even the single stent technique showed prognosis in most CBL treatment, dual stenting technique is still required in some cases. Our clinical follow-ups of dual stent implantation showed that the optimized provisional T-stenting (OPT) technique in CBL treatment has a lower restenosis rate compare with the Culotte stenting technique and T-stenting and small protrusion (TAP) technique. Though the local hemodynamic characteristics have been suggested as a key factor of the restenosis post PCI, the detailed hemodynamics features of the different dual stent implantation configurations are yet to be explored. In this study, the numerical simulations were performed to investigate the flow characteristics in coronary bifurcations with different dual stenting techniques.