Feasibility of stent placement in carotid arteries with real-time MR imaging guidance in pigs

All examinations were performed with approval from the institutional animal care and use committee of Columbia University. To assess the feasibility of real-time magnetic resonance (MR) imaging–guided neurovascular intervention in a swine model, the authors placed stents in the carotid arteries of five domestic pigs. Seven-French vascular sheaths were placed in the target carotid arteries via femoral access by using active MR tracking. Ten nitinol stents (8–10 × 20–40 mm) were successfully deployed in the target segments of carotid arteries bilaterally. MR imaging and necropsy findings confirmed stent position. Necropsy revealed no gross vascular injury. Study results demonstrated the feasibility of performing real-time MR imaging–guided neurovascular intervention by using an active-tracking technique in an animal model. © RSNA, 2004