title: Detecting endoleaks after endovascular AAA repair with a minimally invasive, implantable, telemetric pressure sensor: an in vitro study.
abstract: A feasibility study on a completely digital telemetric pressure sensor (TPS) to detect endoleaks was performed in an in vitro model of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). An endovascular-stented AAA silicone model with different types (I-III) and sizes (3-11 French) of endoleaks was created and pulsatile pressure was applied with physiological flow and pressure rates [mean intraaortic pressure (IAP): 95-130 mmHg] and different degrees of thrombosis of the aneurysm sac. Aneurysm sac pressure (ASP) was measured with the TPS and with wired pressure sensors (WPS) as a reference. Statistical analysis included paired t-test, Pearson's correlation analysis and Bland-Altman plots. After opening an endoleak, the mean ASP increased significantly (P < 0.0001) from 15 to almost 95% of the mean IAP depending on endoleak type and size. ASP could be measured accurately with the TPS and the WPS. The telemetric and wired ASP increase showed a high Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) for a non-thrombosed (r = 0.97) and a thrombosed (r = 0.96) aneurysm sac. In an in vitro silicone model, the newly designed telemetric pressure sensor was able to detect the occurrence of an endoleak in a non-invasive way and might be a valuable device for follow-up of endovascular AAA repair.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany. fabian.springer@rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schlierf
authors.forename: Joachim-Georg
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Pfeffer
authors.forename: Andreas H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mahnken
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schnakenberg
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmitz-Rode
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011312:Pressure; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D015607:Stents; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation*