Effects of intraluminal irradiation with Holmium-166 for TIPS stenosis: experimental study in a swine model

We wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of intraluminal irradiation with Holmium-166 ((166)Ho) for reducing the pseudointimal hyperplasia (PIH) in the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) tract in a swine model.

TIPS was performed in 12 domestic pigs, after the creation of portal hypertension by intraportal injection of a mixture of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and lipiodol. Five pigs first underwent intraluminal irradiation (30 Gy) in the parenchymal tract with using a (166)Ho solution-filled balloon catheter, and this was followed by the placement of a nitinol stent in the TIPS tract. For the seven control pigs, the balloon was filled with saline and contrast media mixture. Two weeks later, follow-up portography and histological analysis were performed.

TIPS was successfully performed in all twelve pigs with achieving artificially induced portal hypertension. Portography performed two weeks after TIPS showed the patent tracts in the TIPS tracts that were irradiated with (166)Ho (5/5, 100%), whereas either completely (5/6, 83.3%) or partially (1/6, 16.7%) occluded TIPS were seen in the seven pigs of the nonirradiated control group, except in one pig that experienced periprocedural death due to bleeding. Histological analysis showed a statistically significant difference for the maximal PIH (irradiated: 32.8%, nonirradiated: 76.0%, p < 0.001) between the two groups.

Intraluminal irradiation with 30 Gy of (166)Ho for TIPS significantly improved the TIPS patency in a swine model of portal hypertension during a 2-week period of follow-up.