Surgical construction of an in vivo carotid siphon model to test neurovascular devices.

Abstract

We developed an animal model to evaluate vascular trauma induced by endovascular devices that are proposed for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. The model was constructed in six domestic swine by elongating the common carotid artery using interpositional grafts. Balloon catheters (n = 3), stents (n = 2), and a snare were tested 9 to 13 days after surgery. Device performance was evaluated by angiography, macroscopic photography, and histopathological examination. Animals tolerated the surgical procedure well, and artificial siphons were thought to provide realistic conditions for device testing. Balloon catheters induced minimal trauma, whereas coronary stents caused severe spasm or thrombosis and extensive macroscopic changes. Construction of an in vivo siphon model is feasible and potentially useful for testing neurovascular devices.