Impact of patient-specific LVOT inflow profiles on aortic valve prosthesis and ascending aorta hemodynamics

Patient-specific models become increasingly important in cardiovascular research as they allow prediction of surgical procedures. While the left ventricular outflow profile is an essential boundary condition, it remains unknown before treatment takes place. To overcome this problem, hemodynamics after virtual valve replacement were calculated based on different inlet profiles at the left ventricular outflow tract: a generic plug profile and a profile derived from 4D-flow-MRI. Spatially averaged parameters within the aorta were not significantly altered using either profile. A generic profile might be sufficient for the prediction of hemodynamics, circumventing the problem of predicting change in patient-specific boundary conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.