A BIODEGRADABLE PATCH USED AS A PERICARDIAL SUBSTITUTE AFTER CARDIAC-SURGERY - 6-MONTH AND 24-MONTH EVALUATION WITH CT

Biodegradable patches made of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) were recently shown to limit postoperative pericardial adhesions when inserted into the pericardium in sheep. The present study was carried out to evaluat e the presence of postoperative retrosternal adhesions after cardiac s urgery in patients operated on with the PHB patch compared with those operated on without the insertion of such a patch. 50 patients admitte d for CABG and/or valvular replacement were randomised to treatment ei ther with pericardial closure with a patch or with the pericardium lef t open. In 39 of these (19 with and 20 without a PWB patch) computeris ed tomography was carried out six and twenty-four months postoperative ly. Computerised tomography indicated a lower incidence (p < 0.05) of postoperative adhesions between the patch and the cardiac surface in t he patch group, compared with the corresponding area in the non-patch group. A reduction of patch size in 27 % (p = 0.003) was also seen.