Percutaneous endovascular stents: an experimental evaluation.

Percutaneous, expanding, endovascular stents were constructed of stainless steel wire formed in a zig-zag pattern. Stents were placed for varying periods of time in the jugular vein, vena cava, and abdominal aorta in each of five adult dogs. The dilating force of the stents could be controlled by different wire size, number and angle of wire bends, and stent length. In addition, multiple stents could be placed one inside the other or one after the other, depending on the circumstance. The stents distended the vessels and increased their diameter. No flow defects, luminal narrowing, or occlusion were noted in any of the stented vessels, even after 6 months. Side branches bridged by the stents remained patent and showed no indication of narrowing. Stent wires became encased by a proliferation of the tunica intima where they contacted the vessel wall. Encasement was slower and less extensive in the abdominal aorta. No vascular erosion or clot formation was found to be associated with any of the stents.