homograft
A valve or vascular conduit harvested from a human donor, used for cardiac or vascular reconstruction.
Full Definition
A homograft, also called an allograft, is biological tissue obtained from a human donor that is used for surgical reconstruction in cardiac and vascular procedures. In cardiothoracic surgery, homografts commonly include aortic or pulmonary valves, and sections of aorta or pulmonary artery. These grafts are cryopreserved and stored in tissue banks until needed. Homografts offer excellent hemodynamic properties and do not require anticoagulation, but they may deteriorate over time due to immune responses and structural degeneration, particularly in younger patients.
Usage
Usage note: Specify the type (aortic, pulmonary) and preservation method (cryopreserved, fresh) when editing surgical documentation.
In Context
- "A cryopreserved pulmonary homograft was used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction." — operative report
- "The aortic homograft showed signs of calcification on the 10-year follow-up echocardiogram." — cardiology report