Figure 3
Intima on the inner wall of the stents on gross examination. B3-B6: The intima on the internal wall of the balloon-expandable stents in the carotid artery was shown at 3, 4, 5, and 6 months after stenting, respectively. A thin layer of endothelial cells and intima was shown at all time points, and no intima was shown on stent struts which protruded into the lumen (arrow at 3 months, B3). At depression areas, the intima was thicker (4 months in B4, arrow). Ba3-Ba9: The intima on the internal wall of the self-expandable bare stents which were deployed into the subclavian artery at 3, 4, 5, and 9 months, respectively. The stent struts were expanded well without protrusion in to the lumen. Good intima covered the internal wall of the stent. S3-S10: The intima on the internal wall of self-expandable stents in the carotid artery was demonstrated 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10 months after stenting, respectively. The stent struts were well expanded without protrusion into the lumen. The intima well covered the stent struts with thicker intima at depression areas (4 months in S4, arrow).
