Comparison of the Texan foreign body retrieval device and the Amplatz goose neck snare in vivo and in vitro.

PURPOSE

To compare the capturing ability of the Texan foreign body retrieval device with that of the Amplatz gooseneck snare in a swine model and to analyze their capturing mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Texan device with a < or = 30-mm adjustable loop was compared with the 5-mm, 15-mm, and 35-mm Amplatz snares for retrieval of foreign bodies from the iliac vein, infrarenal aorta, inferior vena cava, and stomach. Capture times by two investigators were compared.

RESULTS

All 24 attempts with the Texan device were successful, as were 21 of 23 attempts with the Amplatz snare; two attempts with the 5-mm Amplatz snare were abandoned, and the failures were attributed to the suboptimal size of the snare. Other than the two abandoned attempts, there was no difference between the capturing performances of the Texan device and the 5-mm, 15-mm, and 35-mm Amplatz snares when they were compared side by side. In all vascular interventions, however, the Texan device performed significantly better in capture times than did the 5-mm and 15-mm Amplatz snare (P = .015). In all interventions, the Texan device performed significantly better in capture times than did all three sizes of the Amplatz snare (P= .012).

CONCLUSION

The overall performance of the Texan device based on its capturing ability was significantly better than that of the Amplatz snares. The adjustability of the loop and the more versatile capturing technique made capture and retrieval of foreign bodies easier.