Radiology, Vol 206, 439-445, Copyright © 1998 by Radiological Society of North America
Percutaneous balloon-assisted thrombectomy: preliminary in vivo results with an expandable vascular sheath system
J Brossmann and JJ Bookstein
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universitat Kiel, Germany.
PURPOSE: To test an expandable vascular sheath system for percutaneous
transcatheter balloon-assisted thrombectomy in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A 9-F expandable vascular sheath system was used. The system consisted of a
sheath with a deployable funnel configuration and a 3-F balloon catheter
used coaxially. Thrombus was created in the inferior vena cava of 24
rabbits. Thrombus with a mean weight +/- 1 standard deviation of 1,028 mg
+/- 67 was removed percutaneously with the expandable sheath system at 2
days (n = 16) and 7 days (n = 8) after formation; 7-day patency was
examined after removal of 2-day-old thrombus (n = 8). Histologic
examination was performed in the inferior vena cava. RESULTS: In all cases
of 2-day-old occlusion, complete patency of the inferior vena cava was
achieved. In cases of 7-day-old occlusion, patency could be completely
restored in four (50%) cases; in two (25%) cases each, there was partial
removal or no thrombus could be extracted. Histologic findings were
comparable with those observed after balloon embolectomy. CONCLUSION:
Percutaneous transcatheter balloon-assisted embolectomy is feasible with
the expandable vascular sheath system.
