Avitene™ Microfibrillar Collagen Hemostat for Adjunctive Hemostasis in Surgical Procedures: A Systematic Literature Review.

Adequate hemostasis during surgical procedures is essential for successful patient outcomes and reduced healthcare resource utilization. Topical hemostatic agents can act as catalysts for the clotting cascade or as a scaffold to promote platelet activation or aggregation. Although an ever-increasing number of topical absorbable hemostatic agents are now available for perioperative use, health care providers are disadvantaged by the lack of comparative data on feasibility, clinical effectiveness, advantages, and limitations of each in specific surgical settings.

Coronary abscess: a complication of stenting.

We report the case of a 72-year-old male who underwent primary angioplasty for an acute myocardial infarction and developed a coronary stent infection with Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was treated with a prolonged course of IV antibiotics and underwent debridement and partial stent extraction successfully.

Effects of albumin coating of knitted Dacron grafts on transinterstitial blood loss and tissue ingrowth and incorporation.

Transinterstitial blood loss at implantation and the degree of graft incorporation and inner capsule thickening was compared in serial explants of albumin-coated Dacron versus blood preclotted Dacron grafts in the canine thoracoabdominal aortic position (8 mm internal diameter x 30 cm length). The coated grafts were Bard DeBakey Vasculour II knitted Dacron prostheses impregnated with carbodiimide-cross-linked human albumin. Control grafts were otherwise identical and preclotted with the recipients' whole blood before heparinization during surgery.

Management of severe pancreatitis in renal transplant recipients.

Objective: The authors determine if any aspects of the treatment of renal transplant patients with pancreatitis were of particular benefit with regard to graft and patient survival.

Background: The incidence of pancreatitis in renal transplant patients is low (1%-2%), but the mortality of the disease approaches 100%. Although several descriptive reports have been published, there is no consensus-regarding management.

Dacron stimulation of macrophage transforming growth factor-beta release.

This study evaluated the effect of Dacron on the release of macrophage transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta),an endothelial cell growth inhibitor. Rabbit peritoneal macrophages were grown in minimum essential medium (MEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the presence or absence of Dacron (0.5 mm x 3 mm particles).

Laparoscopic ladd procedure and cecopexy in the treatment of malrotation beyond the neonatal period.

Intestinal malrotation is rarely diagnosed beyond the neonatal period. Detailed gastrointestinal contrast studies are required in establishing the diagnosis. The treatment is surgical and involves lysis of adhesions and bands with or without cecopexy.

Regression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after modified Konno procedure.

Background: Septal myotomy-myectomy has been known to decrease the incidence of sudden death and produce regression in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Use of beta-blockers or calcium-channel blockers generally does not cause regression of the disease.

Methods: Having successfully performed modified Konno procedures in 13 patients with effective relief of diffuse subaortic stenosis, we applied the procedure in 2 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

Enhanced endothelialization of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts by fibroblast growth factor type 1 pretreatment.

Background: Biomaterial pretreatment with endothelial cell mitogens may enhance endothelialization.

Methods: Modified fibrin glue (FG) containing 1 ng/cm2 recombinant 125I-labeled fibroblast growth factor type 1 (125I-FGF-1), 20 micrograms/cm2 heparin, 2.86 mg/cm2 fibrinogen, and 2.

Albumin impregnated vascular grafts: albumin resorption and tissue reactions.

This study aimed to determine the kinetics of albumin resorption from and the healing of two types of albumin impregnated Vasculour II (Bard Cardiovascular) Dacron grafts (ACG-A and ACG-B) using whole blood preclotted Vasculour II Dacron grafts (without albumin) as controls (PCC). Prostheses measuring 4 mm ID x 50 mm length were implanted in the aortoiliac position in 24 dogs (ACG-A n = 12, ACG-B n = 24, PCC n = 12) and explanted after 1, 2 4, and 6 months. Platelet count, platelet aggregometry to 10(-5) M ADP, prothrombin time (PT), and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) were determined preoperatively and at explantation.