Numerical simulation of the blood flow through a pre-stenotic aneurysm in coronary artery: effects of varying heart rate

Abstract

The left anterior descending artery (LAD) is a significant coronary artery and a facilitator of oxygenated blood to the heart muscles. Thus, any occurrence of an aneurysm in LAD requires immediate medical attention. It is often inclined toward fatality if coupled with a blockage due to stenosis. Given the high relevance of understanding such models, invasive techniques under all parametric circumstances are hard to achieve. So, a theoretical approach with a cost-effective intervention of mathematical modeling becomes essential. In our current work, we analyze the model with the numerical technique of a modified form of SIMPLE pressure-correction based algorithm and perform parametric studies for the flow field with degree of stenosis, degree of aneurysm, heart rate, and distance separating aneurysm and stenosis as parameters. The study reveals a direct proportionality relation between the number of recirculation zones and heart rate through instantaneous streamline plots. Alongside this, the demonstration of an increase in the risk of rupture of the aneurysm with a decrease in the distance between stenosis and aneurysm, using the physical parameters associated with blood flow, is another key finding. Further, we examine the effect of the flow field on heat transfer and the consequent temperature profiles.