Prediction of deformations during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair using finite element simulation

During endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), the introduction of medical devices deforms the arteries. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of finite element simulation to predict arterial deformations during EVAR. The aortoiliac structure was extracted from the preoperative CT angiography of fourteen patients underwent EVAR. The simulation consists in modeling the deformation induced by the stiff wire used during EVAR. The results of the simulation were projected onto the intraoperative images, using a 3D/2D registration. The mean distance between the real and simulated guidewire was 2.3 ± 1.1 mm. Our results demonstrate that finite element simulation is feasible and appear to be reproducible in modeling device/tissue interactions and quantifying anatomic deformations during EVAR.