Fluid-structure interaction modelling and stabilisation of a patient-specific arteriovenous access fistula

A patient-specific fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model of a phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (PC-MRA) imaged arteriovenous fistula is presented. The numerical model is developed and simulated using a commercial multiphysics simulation package where a semi-implicit FSI coupling scheme combines a finite volume method blood flow model and a finite element method vessel wall model. A pulsatile mass-flow boundary condition is prescribed at the artery inlet of the model, and a three-element Windkessel model at the artery and vein outlets. The FSI model is freely available for analysis and extension. This work shows the effectiveness of combining a number of stabilisation techniques to simultaneously overcome the added-mass effect and optimise the efficiency of the overall model. The PC-MRA data, fluid model, and FSI model results show almost identical flow features in the fistula; this applies in particular to a flow recirculation region in the vein that could potentially lead to fistula failure.