Korean Journal of Radiology

The Korean Society of Radiology (대한영상의학회)
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Correct Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage Reduces Stagnant Blood Flow and the Risk of Thrombus Formation: A Proof-of-Concept Experimental Study Using 4D Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  • Min Jae Cha (Department of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Don-Gwan An (Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University) ;
  • Minsoo Kang (Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University) ;
  • Hyue Mee Kim (Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Sang-Wook Kim (Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Iksung Cho (Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei University Health System) ;
  • Joonhwa Hong (Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Hyewon Choi (Department of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Jee-Hyun Cho (Bio-Chemical Analysis Team, Korea Basic Science Institute) ;
  • Seung Yong Shin (Center for Precision Medicine Platform Based-on Smart Hemo-Dynamic Index) ;
  • Simon Song (Department of Mechanical Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University)
  • Received : 2022.11.23
  • Accepted : 2023.04.17
  • Published : 2023.07.01
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Abstract

Objective: The study was conducted to investigate the effect of correct occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) on intracardiac blood flow and thrombus formation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using four-dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and three-dimensional (3D)-printed phantoms. Materials and Methods: Three life-sized 3D-printed left atrium (LA) phantoms, including a pre-occlusion (i.e., before the occlusion procedure) model and correctly and incorrectly occluded post-procedural models, were constructed based on cardiac computed tomography images from an 86-year-old male with long-standing persistent AF. A custom-made closed-loop flow circuit was set up, and pulsatile simulated pulmonary venous flow was delivered by a pump. 4D flow MRI was performed using a 3T scanner, and the images were analyzed using MATLAB-based software (R2020b; Mathworks). Flow metrics associated with blood stasis and thrombogenicity, such as the volume of stasis defined by the velocity threshold ($\left|\vec{V}\right|$ < 3 cm/s), surface-and-time-averaged wall shear stress (WSS), and endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP), were analyzed and compared among the three LA phantom models. Results: Different spatial distributions, orientations, and magnitudes of LA flow were directly visualized within the three LA phantoms using 4D flow MRI. The time-averaged volume and its ratio to the corresponding entire volume of LA flow stasis were consistently reduced in the correctly occluded model (70.82 mL and 39.0%, respectively), followed by the incorrectly occluded (73.17 mL and 39.0%, respectively) and pre-occlusion (79.11 mL and 39.7%, respectively) models. The surfaceand-time-averaged WSS and ECAP were also lowest in the correctly occluded model (0.048 Pa and 4.004 Pa-1, respectively), followed by the incorrectly occluded (0.059 Pa and 4.792 Pa-1, respectively) and pre-occlusion (0.072 Pa and 5.861 Pa-1, respectively) models. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a correctly occluded LAA leads to the greatest reduction in LA flow stasis and thrombogenicity, presenting a tentative procedural goal to maximize clinical benefits in patients with AF.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors appreciate the technical assistance of Mun Young Paek (from Siemens Healthcare), Bon Chul Ha, Hyeong Ho So and Min Gu Kim for helping with MRI scans.

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