Clinical experience with glutaraldehyde-preserved heterologous pericardium for the closure of the pericardium after open heart surgery.

A limited series of 58 patients had their pericardial cavity closed with a patch of heterologous glutaraldehyde-preserved pericardium. No patients have been lost to follow-up, which extends between 3 hours and 50 months with a mean of 21 months. No problems related to the patch have been detected. Nine specimens have been available for macroscopic examination and 5 for microscopic study with a maximum postimplant time of 6 months. The patch maintained its initial structure, remained acellular and offered a retrosternal and intrapericardial plane of cleavage.