Is Autologous or Heterologous Pericardium Better for Valvuloplasty

Аннотация

Pericardial calcification is detrimental to the long-term durability of valvuloplasty. However,whether calcification susceptibility differs between heterologous and autologous pericardium is unclear. In this study, we compared the progression of calcification in vivo between autologous and heterologous pericardium.We randomly divided 28 rabbits into 4 equal groups. Resected rabbit pericardiumserved as autologous pericardium, and commercial bovine pericardium served as heterologous pericardium. We subcutaneously embedded one of each pericardial patch in the abdominal walls of 21 of the rabbits. The 7 control rabbits (group A) received no implants.The embedded samples were removed at 2 months in group B, at 4 months in groupC, and at 6 months in group D. Each collected sample was divided into 2 parts, one forcalcium-content measurement by means of atomic-absorption spectroscopy, and one formorphologic and histopathologic examinations