Development of an antithrombogenic cardiac wall substitute which can be reconstructed by infiltration of host cells.

Various kinds of materials, such as glutaraldehyde-treated pericardial heterografts, have been used as a cardiac wall substitute. Some problems were encountered with their use. We clarified these problems in animal experiments and developed a new cardiac wall substitute to overcome them. As one of the best cardiac wall substitutes obtainable at present, glutaraldehyde-treated equine pericardium (Xenomedica, GA-graft), was sutured as a patch in the right ventricular outflow tract (Group 1: 16 dogs). A new cardiac wall substitute, which is composed of collagen-coated polyester mesh (CUFP), was sutured in the same fashion (Group 2: 19 dogs). The problems clarified in the GA graft were insufficient antithrombogenicity and poor healing of the neointima and the graft wall. The CUFP had sufficient antithrombogenicity and good healing quality as a cardiac wall substitute. CUFP should be rapidly infiltrated by host cells, to become a kind of host organ and therefore not degenerate with long-term use.