Equine pericardium: a versatile alternative reconstructive material in congenital cardiac surgery.

Background: Pericardial patches are often used for repair of congenital cardiac defects. The aim of this study was to describe our initial experience with the use of equine pericardium and its safety and advantages and disadvantages compared to bovine pericardium.

Methods: We designed a retrospective cohort study of 111 patients who were surgically treated for congenital heart disease between 2017 and 2020.