2005 Volume 16 Issue 4 Pages 291-296
A biodegradable stent for venous obstructive disease was developed. The stent is constructed of a material that is absorbed in a nontoxic manner, preventing restenosis during repair of injured sites. The stent woven from 0.3mm filament of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) has promising compression strength compared with a metallic stent. The PLLA stent of 6 ౷ 40mm was implanted into the canine common femoral vein in a self-expanding fashion. After implantation, the follow-up color duplex scanning was performed to confirm patency of the stent. Four months after implantation, the animal was sacrificed and the stented iliac vein was harvested. Elasticity of the vessel wall was still preserved. Thrombus formation or stenosis of the internal lumen was not observed. Intimal thickening was not apparent and the internal lumen was smooth, especially at both the ends of implanted stent. Histological examination revealed formation of a thin layer of fibrous tissue and minimal inflammatory reaction around the filament. These results suggest that the PLLA stent has promising strength and biocompatibility without thrombosis or stenosis in the canine iliac vein.
