Association Between Aneurysmal Haemodynamics and Device Microstructural Characteristics After Flow-Diversion Treatments With Dual Stents of Different Sizes: A Numerical Study

OBJECTIVES: Treating intracranial aneurysms with flow-diverting stents sometimes requires deployment of a second device. Herein we quantify the sizing effects of devices in dual-stent treatments upon the final stent microstructure and the post-treatment aneurysmal haemodynamics. METHODS: Fifteen sidewall ICA aneurysm geometries were included. Using a virtual stenting technique, we implanted either one or two stents for each aneurysm treatment considered, with each stent specified as one of two different sizes, yielding a total of two single-stent and fouir dual-stent treatment scenarios for each aneurysm. Three stent microstructural parameters and nine aneurysmal haemodynamic parameters were quantified and systematically compared across the 90 treatment scenarios. RESULTS: Deployment of a second stent further reduced the aneurysmal inflow rate (IR) and energy loss (EL) by, respectively, 14 ± 11% (p = 0.001) and 9 ± 12% (p = 0.056), relative to the untreated condition. Sizing effects of the earlier-deployed stent led to largest differences of 6.9% for the final IR reduction and 11.1% for the EL, whereas sizing effects from the later-deployed stent were minor (≤2.1%). The change in stent pore size was the only microstructural parameter demonstrating a strong correlation with the reduction in the post-treatment aneurysmal haemodynamics, in terms of the IR (r = 0.50, p < 0.001) and pressure drop (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Size of the earlier-deployed stent has substantial effects on the final haemodynamic outcomes after dual-stent treatment. The average pore size of stent wires at the aneurysm orifice shows promise as a potential index for predicting the efficacy of flow-diversion treatments.