Phosphorylcholine surface modified flow diverter associated with reduced intimal hyperplasia.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Biomaterials Science
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a key intravascular imaging tool for vascular pathology and stent placement.
• OCT was employed to assess the in vivo response to a novel phosphorylcholine surface-modified flow diverter (sPED).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of OCT in assessing vascular response to flow diverters.
• To compare the neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) induced by a novel sPED versus a classic Pipeline device (cPED).
• To investigate the impact of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) on NIH with these devices.

Main Methods:

• An in vivo rabbit aneurysmal model was utilized with four groups: cPED, sPED, with or without DAPT (n=10 per group).
• OCT cross-sectional area measurements were correlated with histological findings.
• NIH ratios were compared between OCT and histology, and across different stents, DAPT protocols, and vessel locations.

Main Results:

• OCT measurements strongly correlated with histology (r²=0.83).
• The sPED group exhibited significantly less NIH than the cPED group (5.7% vs. 8.9% lumen reduction; P<0.0001).
• NIH was slightly higher with DAPT (7.9% vs. 6.8%; P<0.05), with no difference in aneurysm occlusion rates between devices.

Conclusions:

• OCT is a valuable tool for evaluating flow diverter treatments.
• Phosphorylcholine surface modification of flow diverters reduces NIH post-implantation in an animal model.
• The sPED achieves reduced NIH without compromising aneurysm occlusion rates.