The Hemashield Woven (R) prosthesis in the thoracic aorta: a prospective computer tomography follow-up study

Background. Dacron prostheses in humans have been documented to present lon g-term fiber alterations, that may account for late graft dilatation. Late dilatation has been documented mainly in knitted prostheses, implanted in t he abdominal and thoracic aorta. Dilatation of the collagen-impregnated Hem ashield Woven(R) prosthesis has not been studied prospectively in the thora cic aorta. Methods. Twenty patients were prospectively included. The intraoperative pe rformance of the graft and mid-term clinical behaviour were studied. The gr aft distensibility was evaluated by postoperative, 1 and 3 yr computed tomo graphic diameter follow-up. Results. There were no hospital deaths. Two graft-unrelated deaths occurred at 3 yr. The graft performance was excellent or good for most aspects. No significant changes in CT diameter occurred throughout the 3 yr follow-up. Conclusion. The collagen-impregnated Hemashield Woven(R) prosthesis is cons idered safe in replacements of the thoracic aorta. Future evaluation should focus on the very long-term behaviour in young adults. (C) 2001 The Intern ational Society for Cardiovascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.