EFFECTS OF SYSTEMIC HEPARINIZATION ON THE THROMBOGENICITY OF HYDROPHILIC AND NONHYDROPHILIC CATHETERS IN A SWINE MODEL

We assessed the effect of systemic heparinization on the in-vivo throm bogenicity of various micro- and guiding catheters in a swine model. M icrocatheters were placed through 6-F guiding catheters into the commo n carotid arteries of swine for 30-min (short-term) and 90-min (medium -term) periods, with and without systemic heparinization. At the end o f the placement period the microcatheters were retracted through the g uiding catheters and fixed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Gui ding catheters were harvested after 5 h placement, with and without sy stemic heparinization, by retraction through 8-F sheaths and fixed for SEM. The surfaces of both hydrophilic and nonhydrophilic microcathete rs all demonstrated more accumulation of debris during placement witho ut than with systemic heparinization. The difference was primarily in the amount of fibrillary material on the catheter surface. The guiding catheters also demonstrated increased debris accumulation without sys temic heparinization. This suggests that, even when using relatively n onthrombogenic catheters, systemic heparinization is indicated during cerebral angiography.