PhD Conferral Mr. Niek Zonnebeld, MSc.

Keywords: hemodialysis, shunt, computer model, blood flow prediction

“Enter the Matrix: Computational and mechanistical approaches to improve arteriovenous fistula maturation”

Hemodialysis patients are dependent on effective vascular access. The shunt - an operative connection between vein and artery - is the most commonly used. Nevertheless, a significant part of the shunt is not (directly) usable. The usefulness is largely dependent on the postoperative blood flow (increase). An innovative computer model has been investigated that can make patient-specific blood flow predictions. Based on this, the ideal shunt for an individual patient can be calculated. Although the prediction was the most predictive of usability, the shunt choice could not be favorably influenced. On the other hand, it does confirm the potential of patient-specific computer models.