Impact of turbulent blood flow in the aortic root on de novo aortic insufficiency during continuous-flow left ventricular-assist device support

Severe aortic insufficiency (AI) after implantation of continuous-flow left ventricular-assist device (LVAD) affects device performance and outcomes. However, the mechanism for the occurrence and progression of AI has not been elucidated. We investigated the impact of nonphysiological retrograde blood flow in the aortic root on AI after LVAD implantation. Blood flow pattern was analyzed in patients with and without AI (n = 3 each) who underwent LVAD implantation, by computational fluid dynamics with patient-specific geometries, which were reproduced using electrocardiogram-gated 320-slice computed tomographic images. The total volume of retrograde blood flow during one cardiac cycle (716 ± 88 mL) was higher and the volume of slow blood flow (<0.1 cm/s) (0.16 ± 0.04 cm³) was lower in patients with AI than in those without AI (360 ± 111 mL, P = .0495, and 0.49 ± 0.08 cm³, P = .0495, respectively). No significant difference in wall shear stress on the aortic valve was observed between the groups. Patients with AI had a perpendicular anastomosis at the distal ascending aorta and the simulation in the modified anastomosis model of patients with AI showed that the retrograde blood flow pattern depended on the angle and position of anastomosis. Computational fluid dynamics revealed strong retrograde blood flow in the ascending aorta and aortic root in patients with AI after LVAD implantation. The angle and position of LVAD outflow anastomosis might impact retrograde blood flow and de novo AI after LVAD implantation.