Application of biological glue in repair of intracardiac structural defects

Background. BioGlue (Cryolife Inc, Kennesaw GA) was introduced as an alternative tissue sealant. Its most common application has been in repairs of acute dissections of the aorta. There is no reported experience with its use in the repair of intracardiac structural defects. Methods. In 5 patients BioGlue was used as an adjunct in repairs of complex intracardiac structural defects. It was used during patch repair of posterior mitral annular defects in 2 patients and aortic annular defect in 1 patient in the presence of active endocarditis. It was also used in 1 patient with a chronic atrioventricular groove pseudo-aneurysm following mitral valve replacement, and in 1 patient during repair of a postinfarction posterior ventricular septal rupture. Results. There were no hospital or late deaths. Immediate intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and late follow-up echocardiography documented complete and durable repair of all defects without recurrence. At follow-up all patients are in New York Heart Association class I-II, 6 to 29 months postoperatively. No patient has suffered late complications or exhibited signs of glue embolization. Conclusions. BioGlue was found to be an effective adjuvant to the standard techniques used for the repair of intracardiac structural defects of various etiologies. Longterm follow-up is recommended to determine its long-term safety in this application. (C) 2004 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.