Stents, wire-frame structures, are very effective devices in the treatment of vascular diseases, such as stenoses and aneurysms. One-third of patients who have stent placements develop restenosis over a six-month period, with the cause thought to be hemodynamic-related. The use of stent grafts to treat aneurysms often leads to exclusion of smaller vessels adjacent to the aneurysm from the circulation, and success of this procedure may therefore depend on the size of small vessels being occluded. An open stent is preferred to preserve the blood supply to neighboring vessels, but is considered to be less effective in aneurysm thrombosis and in reducing the pressure inside the aneurysm. However, monitoring disease development after the stent placement is also important to ensure the success of a procedure. The ability for an aneurysm to access the contrast agent used in both X-ray Angiography and Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography is essential in monitoring disease development. A high flow rate into an aneurysm may imply less possibility of thrombosis, but the aneurysm is readily for contrast access and can easily be found on angiograms. Previous studies have focused on either an axis-symmetric aneurysm or an axis-symmetric stent (1-5). The sensitivity of flow rate into a saccular aneurysm to the configuration of strut is investigated in this study.
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