Changes and significance of hydrodynamic parameters in Budd-Chiari syndrome with obstruction of the inferior vena cava prior to and after interventional therapy

In recent years, the role of computational fluid dynamics for Budd-Chiari syndrome evaluation has become the focus of certain studies. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of computational fluid dynamics in Budd-Chiari syndrome with obstruction of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Magnetic resonance venous angiography was used to obtain original IVC and hepatic venous blood flow images from patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome. The computational fluid dynamics method was used to establish a three-dimensional model and simulate the blood flow velocity, wall shear stress and wall pressure. The results revealed that the hemodynamic parameters of Budd-Chiari syndrome were successfully simulated by computational fluid dynamics. The hemodynamic parameters of the IVC stenosis varied with the cardiac cycle. Vascular flow velocity (pre-operative, 1.64±0.10 m/sec; post-operative, 0.34±0.14 m/sec; t=34.97, P<0.001) and wall shear stress (pre-operative, 25.69±2.85 Pa; post-operative, 3.51±1.70 Pa; t=29.86, P<0.001) at the area of stenosis decreased after interventional therapy and the wall pressure increased (pre-operative, -119.33±251.50 Pa; post-operative, 1,128.42±207.70 Pa; t=17.10, P<0.001). In conclusion, the computational fluid dynamics method was able to effectively simulate the hemodynamic parameters of Budd-Chiari syndrome with obstruction of the IVC and may provide an effective quantitative method for the evaluation of vascular function post-treatment.