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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Monitoring the Wall Mechanics During Stent Deployment in a Vessel
Published on: May 8, 2012
Tissue response to covered Wallstents
B L Dolmatch1, Y H Dong, S O Trerotola
1Department of Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
Purpose:
To evaluate and compare the healing response related to two types of graft-covered Wallstents (WSs) and an uncovered WS in the canine iliac artery.
Materials And Methods:
Eight bare mesh WSs, 10 polyethylene terephthalate interbraided WSs (PET-WSs), and six polytetrafluoroethylene covered WSs (ePTFE-WSs) were placed in the iliac arteries of 12 dogs. Arteriograms were obtained before and after implantation and at explantation. Devices were explanted at 1 month (n = 8), 3 months (n = 6), and 6 months (n = 10) and sent for histologic study.
Results:
One ePTFE-covered stent-graft was found to be thrombosed at 3 months; the remaining 23 of 24 implants remained patent to the time of explantation. The WS and ePTFE-WS both generated a uniform myointimal cell response without inflammation. The PET-WS induced a fibrous luminal response with substantial foreign body-type inflammatory reaction around the PET fibers. Although neointima associated with the PET-WS appeared thicker than that associated with either the ePTFE-WS or the bare WS, none of the patent implants developed greater than 50% angiographic narrowing.
Conclusion:
The PET-WS induced chronic inflammation, a response not seen with either the WS or ePTFE-WS. This may explain the occurrence of pain and/or fever in human studies of arterial PET endoluminal stent-grafts. Patency for all three implants was excellent in this model.
