Comparative Study of Two Surgically Created Swine Models of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abstract

Our aim was to compare two surgically created AAA models, to determine which one of them could be more useful in the development and training in endovascular techniques. Ten pigs underwent the creation of infrarrenal AAAs with autologous peritoneal (Group A (n=5)) or gastric serosa (Group B (n=5)) patches. Serial angiograms and ultrasonograms were obtained to measure aneurismal diameters over time. On day 90, animals were euthanized for pathological evaluation. The surgical procedure took significantly (p=0.022) longer to complete in group B. Survival times were longer in group A. Both models exhibited an increase in diameter during the first third of the follow-up period (up to a 243% of the original diameter in group A and a 216% in group B) that subsequently stabilized. The peritoneum model is technically easier to create, and it exhibits higher postoperative dilatation, so it could be more useful in the short term development, training and evaluation of new endoprostheses.