Purpose: To establish a new animal model of deep venous thrombosis.
Materials and methods: Fifteen young pigs underwent temporary interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC) below the entry of the right renal vein by means of either a silicone band (surgical technique, n = 6) or an intraluminal balloon catheter (endovascular technique, n = 9), followed by injection of absolute ethanol. Lumbar veins within 3 cm below the obstruction were ligated or occluded interventionally. The iatrogenic caval obstruction was relieved after 2 days.
Results: Procedure-related mortality was 33% (n = 2) and 11% (n = 1) for the surgical and endovascular groups, respectively. An adherent, occlusive thrombus was found in all four of the remaining surgically treated animals and in six of eight animals treated percutaneously. The IVC remained patent in two animals in whom balloon migration occurred. Severe caval stenosis invariably occurred after surgical banding.
Conclusion: IVC thrombi suitable for the study of various recanalization therapies can be reliably created with this pig model.