Cardiovascular conduits -- a vessel and a valve -- are integral components used in the surgical reconstruction of various forms of congenital heart disease.  At the time of operative repair, we as congenital heart surgeons are often confronted with an array of complicated decisions.  How and when to use cardiovascular conduits is one such frequent decision.

Cardiovascular homografts are conduits prepared from large blood vessels -- the aorta and pulmonary artery -- donated from a deceased human donor.  These homografts are stored frozen -- locally, at the Tissue Bank in Lund -- and are brought to the operating room, thawed, and prepared when we need them for surgery.   Depending on the needs of the operation, we use the homograft in either its entirety or a portion thereof.

My research involves the assessment of homograft tissue used at the time of surgical reconstruction across a variety of diagnoses.  Understanding their performance and mechanisms of dysfunction or failure helps guide the decisions we make at the time of operation.