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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
A Simplified Model for Heterotopic Heart Valve Transplantation in Rodents
Published on: September 21, 2021
What tissue bankers should know about the use of allograft heart valves
David J Barron1, Natasha E Khan, Timothy J Jones
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6NH, UK. david.barron@bch.nhs.uk
Insights
Heart valve allografts, or homografts, are crucial in cardiac surgery, especially for congenital heart disease. This review covers their history, applications, and compares them to prosthetic valves.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Heart valve allografts (homografts) have a long history in cardiac surgery, dating back over 45 years.
- They remain vital for valve replacement and reconstructive procedures, particularly in treating congenital heart disease.
- Seven tissue banks in the UK and Eire supply approximately 700 homografts annually.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the historical use and clinical applications of heart valve homografts.
- To compare the performance and outcomes of homografts with contemporary prosthetic heart valves.
- To provide surgeons' insights into homograft procurement, preparation, and storage for tissue banks.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of historical and current data on heart valve allografts.
- Comparative analysis of clinical outcomes between homografts and prosthetic valves.
- Description of homograft procurement, processing, and storage protocols.
Main Results:
- Homografts have a well-established role in cardiac surgery, with significant applications in congenital heart disease.
- Performance and outcomes of homografts are compared against various prosthetic alternatives.
- The review details the processes involved in homograft utilization, from procurement to implantation.
Conclusions:
- Heart valve homografts continue to be an important option in cardiac surgery, offering distinct advantages in specific patient populations.
- Understanding homograft degeneration and natural history is crucial for optimizing long-term outcomes.
- Future developments in homograft valve technology hold promise for enhancing clinical efficacy and patient care.
Abstract:
Heart valve allografts (usually referred to as 'homografts') have been used in cardiac surgery for over 45 years when they were amongst the first valves ever used. Today they remain an important part of valve replacement and reconstructive surgery, particularly in the field of congenital heart disease. There are currently seven tissue banks on the UK and Eire that procure, prepare and store these homografts for surgical implantation, currently providing around 700 grafts per year. This article reviews the history and applications of homografts and compares their performance and outcomes with current prosthetic alternatives. It also describes the processes of valve procurement and storage and describes their clinical applications, hopefully providing tissue bankers with the surgeon's insight into what is required. Homograft degeneration and the natural history of these tissues is discussed, together with future expectations and developments in homograft valve technology.
