1997 SCVIR Gary J. Becker Young Investigator Award paper. A transluminally created abdominal aortic aneurysm model

To develop a stable, transluminally created abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) within a live animal model.

Eight mongrel dogs were utilized to evaluate a new, catheter-based technique for the creation of an AAA. With use of a standard angioplasty balloon and a balloon-expandable intravascular metallic stent, the infrarenal abdominal aorta was overdilated to twice its measured diameter into a fusiform shape AAA in eight dogs. At 30 days, aortography was performed, the dogs were killed, and the aorta was resected and evaluated for histopathology.

Seven of the eight dogs that underwent transluminal AAA creation survived the initial procedure. A stable, fusiform AAA was successfully created in these seven dogs. At 30 days, repeat angiography and histologic examination confirmed that the seven AAAs were still twice the diameter of the normal aorta (a four-fold increase in luminal area), that the branch arteries remained patent, and that the lumen was endothelialized. One of the eight dogs was killed 9 hours after the procedure because of inability to awaken from anesthesia. Gross and histopathologic results in this one dog also demonstrated an intact aorta containing an AAA.

A stable, infrarenal AAA model can be successfully created in the canine species with use of standard catheter-based techniques and equipment. This model can be used to test emerging endovascular treatments of AAA.