Barotrauma due to stent deployment in endovascular brachytherapy for restenosis prevention.

Abstract

In this study, the effect of barotrauma due to stent deployment is investigated for several commonly used commercial stents used in endovascular brachytherapy for restenosis prevention. Restenosis due to intimal hyperplasia can occur anywhere along the clinical target volume, which is defined as the length of vessel receiving intervention or injury. The injury may be due to angioplasty, atherectomy (tissue removing), stenting, and stent deployment. Manufacturer specifications for several commonly used stents were reviewed and the results were tabulated. The barotrauma length of stents reviewed in this study ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 mm; the average was 1.7 mm. By considering specific barotrauma into the treatment length, one can provide adequate treatment margins to minimize edge failure or to avoid "geographic miss," which may improve the efficacy of endovascular brachytherapy.