Safety and durability of the biodegradable felt in aortic surgery: a propensity score-matched study.

Objectives: Suture line disruption is a serious complication after aortic surgery. We previously reported in a canine model that basic fibroblast growth factor-incorporated biodegradable polyglycolic acid (PGA) felt prevented tissue derangement at the anastomotic site. This study sought to evaluate the safety and durability of this biodegradable felt.

Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2011, 67 patients who consented to undergo aortic surgery with the basic fibroblast growth factor-incorporated PGA felt were enrolled (Group P). As a control, we retrospectively reviewed the charts of 129 patients who underwent aortic surgery using a polytetrafluoroethylene felt during the same registration period (Group N). On the basis of 18 preoperative covariates, 60 well-matched patient pairs were identified using propensity matching, and their clinical indices were compared.

Results: Among the matched pairs, in-hospital mortality and postoperative complication rates did not statistically differ between the groups. During a median follow-up of 4.8 years, the rate of anastomotic aneurysm was 1.7% (1 patient) in both groups. The rates of overall survival and freedom from aortic events did not differ between the groups. In total, 65 anastomoses in Group P and 54 anastomoses in Group N were monitored via computed tomography, and the diameters of the juxta-anastomotic sites in Group N were more likely to be increased than those in Group P {dilatation ratio [(post-discharge diameter - predischarge diameter)/predischarge diameter × 100 (%)]: 4.3% ± 0.6% vs 2.5% ± 0.5%, P = 0.01}.

Conclusions: The basic fibroblast growth factor-incorporated PGA felt was as safe and durable as conventional felt for reinforcement in aortic surgery. The attenuation of juxta-anastomotic aortic dilatation by PGA felt reinforcement may provide more beneficial effects on long-term outcomes.