TISSUE-RESPONSE TO BIOMATERIALS USED FOR STAPLE-LINE REINFORCEMENT INLUNG RESECTION - A COMPARISON BETWEEN EXPANDED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE AND BOVINE PERICARDIUM

Objective: A study in a canine model of lung-reduction surgery evaluat ed the tissue response to polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and bovine p ericardium (BP) used for staple-line reinforcement. Methods: In each o f ten dogs, BP was placed in one lung and ePTFE in the other. The impl ants were retrieved at 30, 95, or 167 days after implantation and stud ied histologically. The connective tissue covering the implants was me asured and analysis of variance tvas used to compare results with the two materials. Results: At 30 days, the BP specimens showed focal chro nic inflammation and thin tissue coverage, whereas the ePTFE specimens had no focal inflammation and thick tissue coverage. At 95 and 167 da ys, the inflammation in the BP specimens had resolved, but tissue cove rage remained minimal, and there was no resorption of the BP. In the e PTFE specimens, tissue coverage had increased. Analysis of variance co mparing representative tissue specimens showed that the tissue encapsu lating the ePTFE was significantly thicker than that surrounding the B P (P < 0.0001). No air leaks, staple-line disruptions, or infections o ccurred in the study. Conclusions: Neither ePTFE nor BP is resorbable. Both materials have been used successfully, without resultant infecti ons, for clinical staple-line reinforcement. The more favorable tissue response to ePTFE observed in this study may have clinical ramificati ons. Comparative clinical studies of the two materials are needed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.