Preliminary experience with porcine intestinal submucosa (CorMatrix) for valve reconstruction in congenital heart disease: Histologic evaluation of explanted valves

Abstract

Although CorMatrix used for valve repair induced an intense inflammatory response, little or no remodeling to form tissue resembling a 3-layered native valve was seen at ≤9 months after implantation.

Tissue Reaction to Porcine Intestinal Submucosa (CorMatrix) Implants in Pediatric Cardiac Patients: A Single-Center Experience

“…Although reports about CorMatrix patches used for the repair of congenital heart defects in humans are scant, they have shown similar findings of an intense inflammatory response to the material characterized by eosinophils, histiocytes, and plasma cells [3][4][5].…”

“…According to the manufacturer of CorMatrix, an estimated 2 million patients worldwide have received an ECM implant since 1999. Its application in the pediatric population is less extensive, and in pediatric cardiac surgery, only preliminary followup data are available on the use of this material in patients with congenital heart defects [3][4][5]. We report the clinical and histologic findings in explanted CorMatrix patches in our pediatric patients after surgical repair of congenital heart defects.…”

CorMatrix Extracellular Matrix Used for Valve Repair in the Adult: Is There De Novo Valvular Tissue Seen?

“…The largest series, by Zaidi and colleagues [6] and which included left-sided repair, reported histologic findings of 6 patients who underwent mitral valve (ages 0.1 to 14.5 years) and 3 patients with aortic valve repair (ages 4.7 to 11.8 years). In those explants (implant duration 18 to 261 days), the authors report an intense inflammatory response (macrophages, plasma cells, giant cells, and eosinophils) in 8 of 9 of their cases.…”

Sinus of valsalva aneurysm repair in an octogenarian using CorMatrix ECM®

“…This theory is supported by animal studies showing superior results with CorMatrix in cardiac repairs in pig models. [29] Prostheses such as Dacron R (Terumo, Somerset, New Jersey) or GORE-TEX R (W. L. Gore and Associates, Newark, Delaware) are effective repair mediums for sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, but the advantage of CorMatrix is its ability to transition histologically into aortic tissue. [30] Outcomes comparing the prostheses in terms of sinus of Valsalva repair have not been performed; this case is the first use of CorMatrix for sinus of Valsalva repair.…”