Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2008;16:309-312
© 2008 Asia Publishing EXchange Ltd
Novel Anti-Adhesive Pericardial Substitute for Multistage Cardiac Surgery
Goki Matsumura, MD,
Toshiharu Shin’oka, MD,
Yoshito Ikada, PhD1,
Takahiko Sakamoto, MD,
Hiromi Kurosawa, MD
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo
1 Department of Medicine, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
For reprint information contact: Goki Matsumura, MD Tel: 81 3 3353 8111 Fax: 81 3 3356 0441 Email: smatumur{at}hij.twmu.ac.jp, Cardiovascular Surgery, The Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
Dense adhesions in the retrosternal space make reoperations difficult in the field of cardiovascular surgery. Several substitutes for pericardium have been employed to prevent dense adhesions forming, but they have been unsatisfactory because of peel formation, calcification, and infection. To overcome these drawbacks, a novel biodegradable pericardial substitute was developed from gelatin obtained from specific-pathogen-free porcine skin and a bioabsorbable polyester mesh, which persists while the adhesion reaction occurs in the retrosternal space. A clinical pilot study of this gelatin sheet was carried out in patients scheduled to receive multistage cardiac surgery. From February 2003 to July 2004, the material was used in 5 patients aged 0.4 to 3.0 years. There were no complications related to the gelatin sheet. The effectiveness of the material was evaluated when the sternum was reopened 1.4 ± 0.5 years later. It took 24.5 ± 6.0 min for the resternotomy, and all surgeons who participated in the surgery rated the effectiveness of the gelatin sheet as "good". This anti-adhesive sheet prevented dense adhesions, suggesting that this material may be useful as a pericardial substitute for multistage pediatric cardiac surgery.
Copyright © 2008 by the Asia Publishing EXchange Ltd.
