Duraplasty in the posterior fossa using a boat-shaped sheet of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

Application of sutures between expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) dural substitutes and the dura mater is often frustrating in posterior fossa surgery because of the difficulty in holding the elastic graft in a deep and narrow field. To resolve this problem, we have developed a boat-shaped graft made from a triangular ePTFE sheet by pinching each angle using a suture. Formation of standing edges of the sheet facilitates holding of the flaps for secure and more rapid suturing than the conventional approach using a flat sheet.