[Replacement of the thoracic aorta by sealed dacron prostheses (author's transl)]

Dacron prostheses for replacement of the thoracic aorta were sealed with bioadhesive following the Viennese method. Native human fibrinogen was brought to coagulation by adding thrombin. Factor XIII was also added in order to accelerate polymerisation and to reinforce fibrin formation in the presence of thrombin and CaCl2, thus producing a stable thrombus. In order to avoid local fibrinolysis a fast but short-acting as well as a slow but longer-acting antifibrinolytic agent was added. This method was applied in twenty patients. The prostheses remained completely impermeable to blood after resuming circulation in spite of full heparinization. No post-operative haemorrhages from the prostheses were observed.