Finite element analysis of TAVI: Impact of native aortic root computational modeling strategies on simulation outcomes

- Impact of finite element modeling strategies of TAVI on simulation outcomes are investigated.
- A trade-off between model complexity and reliability of the results is analyzed for TAVI finite element simulations.
- Simulation results are compared and validated with real operation outcomes from postoperative computed tomography.

In the last few years, several studies, each with different aim and modeling detail, have been proposed to investigate transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with finite elements. The present work focuses on the patient-specific finite element modeling of the aortic valve complex. In particular, we aim at investigating how different modeling strategies in terms of material models/properties and discretization procedures can impact analysis results. Four different choices both for the mesh size (from  20 k elements to  200 k elements) and for the material model (from rigid to hyperelastic anisotropic) are considered. Different approaches for modeling calcifications are also taken into account. Post-operative CT data of the real implant are used as reference solution with the aim of outlining a trade-off between computational model complexity and reliability of the results.