EVALUATION OF AN EPOXY-FIXED BIOLOGICAL PATCH WITH IONICALLY BOUND HEPARIN AS A PERICARDIAL SUBSTITUTE

In an attempt to develop an improved pericardial substitute, we undert ook the development of an epoxy-fixed biological patch with ionically bound heparin. The study was to evaluate the cross-linking characteris tics of this newly developed biological patch using its glutaraldehyde -fixed counterpart as a control. In addition, the feasibility of using this newly developed biological patch as a pericardial substitute was assessed in a canine model. In the study, it was observed that the ep oxy-fixed biological patch appeared more similar to the native pericar dium in colour and was more pliable than its glutaraldehyde-fixed coun terpart. Also, both the epoxy- and glutaraldehyde-fixed biological pat ches had significant increases in fixation index and denaturation temp erature as compared to the fresh one (p < 0.05). In the canine study, the epoxy-fixed biological patch with ionically bound heparin was foun d to have significantly less adhesion formation than those currently u sed clinically (p < 0.05). (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited