Non-Newtonian effects of blood flow on hemodynamics in distal vascular graft anastomoses.

Non-Newtonian fluid flow in a stenosed coronary bypass is investigated numerically using the Carreau-Yasuda model for the shear thinning behavior of the blood. End-to-side coronary bypass anastomosis is considered in a simplified model geometry where the host coronary artery has a 75% severity stenosis. Different locations of the bypass graft to the stenosis and different flow rates in the graft and in the host artery are studied. Particular attention is given to the non-Newtonian effect of the blood on the primary and secondary flow patterns in the host coronary artery and the wall shear stress (WSS) distribution there. Interaction between the jet flow from the stenosed artery and the flow from the graft is simulated by solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation coupled with the non-Newtonian constitutive model. Results for the non-Newtonian flow, the Newtonian flow and the rescaled Newtonian flow are presented. Significant differences in axial velocity profiles, secondary flow streamlines and WSS between the non-Newtonian and Newtonian fluid flows are revealed. However, reasonable agreement between the non-Newtonian and the rescaled Newtonian flows is found. Results from this study support the view that the residual flow in a partially occluded coronary artery interacts with flow in the bypass graft and may have significant hemodynamic effects in the host vessel downstream of the graft. Non-Newtonian property of the blood alters the flow pattern and WSS distribution and is an important factor to be considered in simulating hemodynamic effects of blood flow in arterial bypass grafts.