Hemodynamic simulation of vascular prosthesis altering pulse wave propagation.

Potential clinical application of a computer model of the aorta was investigated to study the influence on pulse wave morphology of vascular prosthesis. Ascending aorta, aortic arch and abdominal aorta were replaced with synthetic graft materials and profiles. Geometric and compliance mismatch of the synthetic graft sections replacing part of the natural vessel resulted in alterations of the pulse waveform. These changes in pressure and flow waveforms were compared to investigate their effects on the vascular system for both the uniform and tapered vessel models.