Accurate diagnosis of Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia (CMI) requires a comprehensive understanding of both anatomical and hemodynamic factors affecting mesenteric blood flow. This study employed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to assess blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) under varying conditions. Simulations on idealized geometries demonstrated the significant impact of hyperemia on flow dynamics in stenosed vessels, particularly in moderate stenosis. The presence of a collateral vessel from a patent celiac artery (CA) was shown to enhance distal SMA perfusion and reduce pressure gradients. A patient-specific computational workflow was also developed, incorporating CT-based segmentation, boundary condition setup, simulation, and post-processing. Results underscore that anatomical stenosis severity alone is insufficient to determine the functional significance of an SMA lesion. Instead, patient-specific hemodynamics, especially the presence and configuration of collateral pathways, must be considered. While promising, these findings require further validation with larger patient datasets.
link to dataset:
https://doi.org/10.4121/845085c4-9999-41bd-8a4f-02cbdea61164