Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Ulsan University College of Medicine, *Asan Institute for Life Sciences
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE : To evaluate the patency of self-expanding stainless steel stent (Hanaro) in porcine carotid arterieswith doppler sonography as a follow-up examination. MATERIAL & METHODS : Thirteen stents (6 mm in diameter / 3.5cm in length) of 7 pigs were evaluated by sonography to identify the location of the stent and the flow within thestent during the follow-up period from 4 to 13 weeks and to compare with the angiographic finding. Sonography wasdone once a week for 4 weeks and then every 2 weeks until sonography and angiography were done on the same day atthe end of the follow-up period to evaluate the presence of flow. RESULTS : Follow-up angiography and sonographicexaminations were done in 13 stents of 7 pigs. Sonography identified the stent location in all cases anddemonstrated patency in 12 stents and occlusion in 1. In 3 of 12 patent stents sonography showed an occlusionfollowed by recanalization which corresponded to the angiographic evidence of recanalization such as incomplete orretrograde filling of the rete. CONCLUSION : The location of stent and the presence of the flow within the stentwere easily identified with Doppler sonography and the results were well correlated with those of angiography.Therefore Doppler sonography can be used as a useful follow-up examination to evaluate the patency of the stent.