Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the endothelialization, exclusion of the aneurysm from circulation and intra-aneurysmal thrombus formation induced by the implantation of endovascular flow divertors for the purpose of bridging aneurysms. The design of the flow divertors was based on previous in vitro hemodynamic experiments in aneurysm models. The significance of this work is manifested in the development of a minimally invasive technology that may be employed for aneurysm treatment. Divertors with two different filament sizes and three different porosities were implanted in the rabbit elastase-induced aneurysm model and their effectiveness evaluated both angiographically and histologically. Preliminary results demonstrated that it is possible to achieve substantial reduction in intraaneurysmal flow immediately after device deployment. Angiographically, the aneurysms were excluded from the circulation with the medium and low porosity devices. In addition, the device performed as expected: smooth deployment, no intralumenal clot formation, and exclusion of aneurysm from the circulation without occluding other arterial branches. Additional data is needed to make definitive conclusions regarding endothelialization and the formation of a neointima.