ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSMS IN SHEEP - PREVENTION OF RUPTURE WITH ENDOLUMINAL STENT-GRAFTS

PURPOSE: The authors evaluated the ability of an aortic balloon-expand able endovascular stent-graft to prevent rupture in a model of spontan eously rupturing abdominal aortic aneurysms in sheep. MATERIALS AND ME THODS: Aneurysms were created in 16 sheep by inserting a 60 x 18-mm se gment of the left internal jugular vein, end-to-end anastomosed, to th e sectioned infrarenal abdominal aorta. The sheep were randomly assign ed into two groups; eight animals underwent endovascular implantation of an 80 x 12-mm balloon expandable stent-graft (group A), and eight w ere only followed up (group B). RESULTS: In group B, seven of eight an imals had died of aneurysmal rupture by 3 months. In group A, six of t he eight aortic aneurysms Were immediately excluded, and six animals w ere alive at 3 months without rupture. The 3-month survival rate was 1 00% in group A and 12% in group 8 (P = .0023). Macro-and microscopic a nalysis of the section of the aorta in which the stent-graft had been placed revealed rapid retraction of the aneurysmal sac. CONCLUSION: Pl acement of an endovascular stent-graft induced regression of a branchl ess aneurysm and prevented rupture.