Effect of external stents on prevention of intimal hyperplasia in a canine vein graft model
Zou, R-jiang.; Zou, L-jian.; Huang, S-dong.; Wang, Y.; Han, L.; Ji, G-yu.; Xu, Z-yun.
Chinese Medical Journal 120(24): 2264-2267
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 18167215 Document Number: 610802
External stents have been used to reduce intimal hyperplasia of vein grafts. The aim of the present study was to define the size of an external stent appropriate for a particular graft by comparing vein grafts with different sizes of external stents. A series of paired trials was performed to compare femoral vein grafts with different sizes of external stents, where 30 modeled canines were equally divided into three groups: 6-mm external stent vs non-stent control, 4-mm vs 6-mm external stent, and 4-mm vs 8-mm external stent. At day 3 after operation, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) was done to observe blood flow in the lumen. Four weeks later, CDFI was re-checked and the veins were harvested, stained and measured. All grafts were patent without formation of thrombosis. External stents significantly reduced intimal thickness of the vein grafts with a 6-mm external stent compared with the vein grafts without external stents (P < 0.05). The vein grafts with the 4-mm external stent had similar intimal, medial and adventitial thicknesses compared with those with the 6-mm external stent and the 8-mm external stent. External stents can reduce intimal hyperplasia of vein grafts. Stents of different diameters exert the similar effect on prevention of intimal hyperplasia.