title: Finite element analysis of the percutaneous coronary intervention in a coronary bifurcation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The paper presents the process of numerical modeling and simulation of balloon angioplasty of the coronary artery using Finite Element Method.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors focused on the issue of applying adequate pressure in an arterial tissue during the post-dilatation process in the "kissing balloon" stenting technique applied to patients with bifurcation stenosis. Despite great progress in the field of interventional cardiology, angioplasty in bifurcations still belongs to the most difficult interventions, generally being less effective and more risky than in the cases of straight stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the modeling procedures and further simulations, the authors focused on mutual cooperation of non-compliant angioplasty balloons and the coronary artery. The other goal was to develop a sufficiently accurate model of the coronary artery fragment, including its bifurcation and angioplasty balloons; however, it was decided to ignore the modeling of coronary stents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The issue undertaken is considered as relatively complicated and complex but, in the authors' opinion, the implementation of advanced computer aided engineering techniques may, in this case, answer several important questions without the need of performing costly and aggravating in vivo tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanics and Applied Computer Science, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jakub Karol
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bukała
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanics and Applied Computer Science, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Małachowski
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Interventional Cardiology, Central Clinical Hospital Ministry of Interior, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kwiatkowski
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004548:Elasticity; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D011312:Pressure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed