INITIAL CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE WITH RECTUS SHEATH GRAFTS IN CONGENITAL HEART-DEFECTS

This study reports on the initial clinical experience using anterior r ectus sheath as potentially growing graft material in congenital heart lesions, The first seven patients with complex congenital lesions req uiring a rectus sheath graft because of inadequate available pericardi um are reviewed, The initial operations were: TOF (unicusp pulmonary v alve) (re-op), two Konno procedures (one VSD and one RV patch), two ar terial switch procedures for TGA (neoaortic augmentation), two Fontan (re-op) atrial augmentation patch and pulmonary arterioplasty (re-op), Ages ranged from 1 week to 15 years, Follow-up ranged from 1 to 72 mo nths and included open visual inspection at reoperation Ln 5 cases, an giography in 3 cases, and echocardiography in 4 cases, One early respi ratory death occurred in the fourth postoperative week, So far no earl y bleeding from rectus sheath patches, infection, aneurysmal dilatatio n, or scar contraction was observed, No manifestation of peripheral em boli was seen. Hernias of the harvest site were absent, We concluded t hat in absence of pericardium and in areas where future cicatrization or aneurysmal dilatation is undesirable, anterior rectus sheath appear s to be a reasonable alternative.