Dural repair using acellular human dermis: Experience with 200 cases: Technique assessment

OBJECTIVE: Many craniotomies require a watertight dural closure. When prima ry dural repair is not possible, a graft is necessary. Autograft material i s not always easily accessible or available, necessitating the use of other material. We performed 200 craniotomies using an acellular human dermal gr aft (AlloDerm; LifeCell Corp., The Woodlands, TX) to determine its suitabil ity as a dural substitute. METHODS: From June 1996 through March 1998, all patients at Allegheny Gener al Hospital who required a dural substitute graft and in whom autograft har vest was impractical or impossible received the acellular dermal autograft. The running suture technique was used to form a watertight seal. RESULTS: After follow-up for a minimum of 1 year, seven patients have requi red subsequent surgery. Three patients developed cerebrospinal fluid leaks that were repaired without removing the dermal graft. Four patients develop ed wound infections that required debridement. In each patient, the graft s eemed to be uninvolved in the infectious process and was left in place. The patients were administered antibiotics postoperatively, and there have bee n no recurrent infections. No adhesion formation or scarring was noted arou nd or underneath the graft in any patient, CONCLUSION: AlloDerm is a reasonable alternative to the available dural gra ft materials. Its handling characteristics are similar to those of dura, it is biologically inert, and it does not produce adhesion formation.