Equine pericardium: a versatile alternative reconstructive material in congenital cardiac surgery.
BACKGROUND
Pericardial patches are often used for repair of congenital cardiac defects. The aim of this study was to describe our initial experience with the use of equine pericardium and its safety and advantages and disadvantages compared to bovine pericardium.


METHODS
We designed a retrospective cohort study of 111 patients who were surgically treated for congenital heart disease between 2017 and 2020. Equine pericardium was used in 58 patients and bovine pericardium was used in 53 patients. Recorded variables included demographic data, preoperative cardiac pathology, site of patch insertion, morbidity and mortality.


RESULTS
The overall survival rate was 94.5% and no deaths were related to patch insertion. None of our patients were reoperated on for patch related complications. Postoperative transcatheter intervention was needed in 2 patients (1.8%): one for dilatation of aortic arch stenosis after repair of hypoplastic left heart syndrome with equine pericardium and one for dilatation of pulmonary artery branches after repair of tetralogy of Fallot using bovine pericardium.


CONCLUSIONS
Equine pericardium is a safe patch material for reconstruction in congenital heart surgery. It may be preferable to bovine pericardium in cases requiring a complex shape or a pliable patch as in in arch reconstruction or for valve reconstruction.
['Elassal|Ahmed Abdelrahman|AA|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2497-6978', 'Al-Radi|Osman Osama|OO|', 'Zaher|Zaher Faisal|ZF|', 'Dohain|Ahmed Mohamed|AM|', 'Abdelmohsen|Gaser Abdelmohsen|GA|', 'Mohamed|Ragab Sayed|RS|', 'Fatani|Mazin Adel|MA|', 'Abdelmotaleb|Mohamed Esam|ME|', 'Noaman|Nada Ahmed|NA|', 'Elmeligy|Mahmoud Akl|MA|', 'Eldib|Osama Saber|OS|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000818:Animals D001013:Aorta, Thoracic D001705:Bioprosthesis D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures D002417:Cattle D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D005260:Female D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital D006736:Horses D006801:Humans D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome D007223:Infant D007231:Infant, Newborn D008297:Male D010496:Pericardium D019651:Reconstructive Surgical Procedures D012086:Reoperation D012189:Retrospective Studies D015996:Survival Rate D055815:Young Adult
Equine pericardium Cardiac surgery Congenital heart diseases