Local antithrombotic therapy using a novel porous balloon catheter

The efficacy of local treatment of thrombosis with low-dose antithrombotic drugs (heparin:30 U / kg, or argatroban:0.02 mg / kg) was investigated usin g a novel porous balloon catheter. This novel balloon catheter can deliver drug into arterial walls without causing vascular trauma. Thrombus formatio n was significantly inhibited in balloon-injured and locally-treated iliac arteries compared with control balloon-injured arteries in 12 dogs. In the systemic high-dose delivery group (ten times as high as the low dose), thro mbus formation in injured arteries was significantly less than that of cont rols in 7 dogs. Low-dose systemic delivery was not effective at inhibiting this thrombus formation. Thus, local treatment with an antithrombotic drug using this novel porous balloon catheter can prevent thrombosis without inf luencing systemic coagulability.