autograft
Pronunciation: AW-toh-graft
Transplanted tissue taken from the same individual, commonly used for valve replacement in cardiac surgery.
Full Definition
An autograft is biological tissue that is harvested from one location within a patient and transplanted to another location within the same individual. In cardiac surgery, the most common autograft procedure is the Ross operation, where the patient's own pulmonary valve is used to replace a diseased aortic valve, and a pulmonary homograft or mechanical valve replaces the pulmonary valve. Autografts have the advantage of being living tissue that can grow with the patient (important in pediatric cases) and do not require anticoagulation, but they involve a more complex surgical procedure with potential complications at both the donor and recipient sites.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from allograft (different individual) and xenograft (different species). Capitalize when referring to specific procedures.
In Context
- "The Ross procedure utilizes a pulmonary autograft for aortic valve replacement." — Surgical technique description
- "Autograft tissue offers the advantage of growth potential in pediatric cardiac surgery." — Clinical research