Hemodynamics in coil and shape memory polymer foam-embolized intracranial aneurysms

The study uses numerical modeling to study blood flow inside intracranial aneurysms after treatment with shape memory polymer (SMP) foam and coil embolization. The treated (embolized) region is represented as porous media, and the model uses a non-Newtonian blood viscosity model to simulate transient hemodynamics. The authors analyze flow patterns such as velocity fields and vortices, along with wall shear stress (WSS) and relative residence time (RRT). They report that SMP foam significantly reduces intra-aneurysmal velocity and WSS while increasing RRT, which they interpret as conditions more favorable for stable thrombus formation compared with coils. They also test how changes in systemic pressure affect outcomes by perturbing the inflow waveform by ±10% and ±20%. Hypertension increases flow and WSS, while hypotension increases flow stagnation and RRT, leading the authors to suggest that mild hypotension during or after treatment could support improved outcomes from a hemodynamics perspective.