In vitro and in vivo studies of the extent of electrothrombotic deposition of blood elements on the surface of electrolytically detachable coils

Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms with electrolytically detachable coils is often claimed to be based on electrothrombosis, i.e. intra-aneurysmal thrombus formation through applied direct current. Despite the fact that this concept was described more than a century ago, the significance of electrothrombosis in the endovascular treatment of aneurysms remains debatable. Apart from electrothrombosis, mechanical obliteration of the aneurysmal lumen might be one of the many possible mechanisms to explain why and how detachable coils are effective in preventing aneurysms front (re-)rupture. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate to what extent direct current comparable to that used for coil detachment would influence the adhesion of cellular and liquid blood components to the surface of electrolytically detachable platinum coils. For the in vitro study, electrolytically detachable platinum coils of various types were exposed to stagnant heparinised blood for a total of 16 h, without or with applied direct current for 30 or 90 s (1 mA, 4-6 V, coil as anode). For the in vivo study, electrolytically detachable platinum coils were exposed to flowing blood for 180 s, without or with applied direct current (2 mA, 4-6 V, coil as either anode or cathode), with-out anti-coagulation and after intravenous administration of 5000 U Heparin and again after the intravenous administration of 500 mg Aspisol in addition to Heparin. After exposure to blood according to these different experimental protocols, the coils were fixed in formalin solution, gold coated and examined by scanning electron microscopy. Thrombus formation on the surface of all unfibred coils was thin and highly variable both from coil to coil, and on different areas of any given coil. The application of direct current minimally enhanced thrombus formation in stagnant blood in vitro, but not in vivo. The cellular and fibrin adhesions on the coil surfaces without and with applied current did not effectively increase the diameter or volume of unfibred coils. Coils with attached nylon fibres, however, proved to be highly thrombogenic without or with application of current. In fibred coils, surface adhesions without and with applied current were voluminous enough to effectively increase the diameter of the coil, potentially important for the process of endosaccular aneurysm occlusion. Electrothrombosis plays no role in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms with electrolytically detachable coils. This explains why platinum coils with non-electrolytic detachment mechanisms show a similar efficiency and recurrence rate.