Computational Modeling of Esophageal Stricture; Understanding the Influence of Healthcare Systems on the spread of Medical Tourism

Esophageal atresia is a congenital birth defect resulting in a discontinuity between the lower segment of the esophagus and the stomach. Corrective surgery to treat esophageal atresia has a high success rate, but results in the common future complication of Esophageal stricture, or narrowing at the esophageal correction site. This study provides a detailed analysis of patients with esophageal stricture, including information about respiratory complications, form of corrective surgery, and other unique characteristics. With the patient’s information, individual computational modeling of esophageal images, primarily x-rays, was conducted to obtain vital quantitative information regarding the flow dynamics of strictured esophagi. This information includes contours of the esophagus illustrating regions of the greatest stress, dynamic pressure, and velocity profiles. This study presents a thorough, individual analysis for each patient highlighting the unique characteristics of esophageal stricture. The results of this study will provide key information for designing an implantable device into specific patients with esophageal stricture.
Medical tourism is a growing phenomenon around the world. Today, patients from all around the world are exercising their autonomy in selecting their health care options by obtaining information from outside their usual health care providers and electing to pursue medical alternatives outside their domestic system. This study assesses which healthcare factors play a role in the spread of medical tourism to and from first-world countries. Specifically analyzed are the cost of procedures, timeliness of operations, drug and device regulations, and the standard of care within countries. Also, the study addresses the potential of medical tourism to influence public and private healthcare policy as individuals will now consider domestic insurance coverage against the greater potential industry of medical tourism.

School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
Technical Advisor: Haibo Dong
STS Advisor: Bryn Seabrook
Technical Team Members: Inusah Diallo, Georgia Mackenzie