title: Aneurysm pulsatility after endovascular exclusion--an experimental study using human aortic aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the pulsatility of human aneurysms before and after complete exclusion with an endograft.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five aortic aneurysms obtained during necropsy were submitted to pulsatile perfusion before and after implantation of a bifurcated endograft. The specimens were contained in a closed chamber filled with saline solution. A vertical tube attached to the chamber was used to measure volume dislocation in each systole. Mural thrombus was kept intact, and the space around the device was filled with human blood. After each experiment, the aneurysm was opened to check for the correct positioning and attachment of the device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of the saline column oscillated during pulsation in each case, with respective amplitudes of 17, 16, 13, 7, and 25 cm before the endograft insertion. After the insertion, the amplitudes dropped to 13, 12, 9, 3.5, and 23 cm, respectively. The differences were not significant. During the post-experimental examination, all devices were found to be in position and well attached to the neck and iliacs. No endoleak was detected during perfusion or by visual inspection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulsation of an endograft is transmitted to the aneurysm wall even in the absence of endoleak, and should not be interpreted as procedural failure.
authors.affiliation: Cirurgia Vascular e Endovascular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hussein Amin
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Orra
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puech-Leão
authors.forename: Erasmo Simão da
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Domingos Guerino
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D002102:Cadaver; D006801:Humans; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology*