Aortic reconstruction with bovine pericardial grafts

Abstract

Introduction: Glutaraldehyde-treated crimped bovine pericardial grafts are currently used in aortic graft surgery. These conduits have become good options for these operations, available in different sizes and shapes and at a low cost.Objective: To evaluate the results obtained with bovine pericardial grafts for aortic reconstruction, specially concerning late complications.Method: Between January 1995 and January 2002, 57 patients underwent different types of aortic reconstruction operations using bovine pericardial grafts. A total of 29 (50.8%) were operated on an urgent basis (mostly acute Stanford A dissection) and 28 electively. Thoracotomy was performed in three patients for descending aortic replacement (two patients) and aortoplasty with a patch in one. All remaining 54 underwent sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic resection. Deep hypothermia and total circulatory arrest was used in acute dissections and arch operations.Results: Hospital mortality was 17.5%. Follow-up was 24.09 months (18.5 to 29.8 months confidence interval) and complication-free actuarial survival curve was 92.3%(standard deviation ± ± ± ± ± 10.6).

Replacement of infected aortoiliac vascular grafts with bifurcated BioIntegral Surgical No‐React® bovine pericardial xenografts

“…The No‐React® process makes a xenogenic graft biocompatible, anti‐infective and prevents blood from clotting, even in the low‐pressure vessels, at the same time maintaining all the advantageous physical properties of the tissue treated with glutaraldehyde. Bovine pericardial grafts have been used in surgery of the thoracic and abdominal aorta as tubular, not bifurcated grafts…”