REPLACEMENT OF THE ASCENDING AORTA AND AORTIC-ARCH WITH BOVINE PERICARDIAL GRAFTS - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Bovine pericardial (BP) grafts have been clinical use at Biocor Hospit al since 1989 for replacement or repair of the ascending aorta (AsAo) and initial segment of the aortic arch (AoAr), The main advantages of BP grafts that have justified their clinical application are much easi er surgical technique, perfect hemostasis and low cost, From Feb/89 to Feb/94, 88 BP grafts were implanted in the AsAo or the AoAr, There we re 33 valved conduits, 47 non-valved conduits and 8 patches, The main indication for the procedure was acute dissection of the aorta, accoun ting for 50% of the cases, The total hospital mortality was 20.4%, Fol low-up was obtained in all but two patients, Patients who survived 2 o r more years postoperatively (n=31) underwent either an echocardiograp hic or an angiographic study in order to access the behavior of the gr aft, which was perfect in all of them, The current follow-up is short and complications such as calcification may still develop, However the present study has clearly shown the superior handling and better hemo stasis of BP grafts compared to the classical Dacron prosthesis.