FT. LAUDERDALE – A new, biodegradable film designed to reduce the severity of scarring following open heart surgery in young children appears to be safe and effective, according to researchers attending the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in Ft. Lauderdale. Scarring is a normal response to surgery, but it can be troublesome in children born with congenital heart defects because many need multiple surgeries to correct or treat their problems. “Often the scarring is severe enough that when we perform a second surgery, we find the heart is stuck to the sternum,” says Dr. Andrew Lodge, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University Medical Center and study leader.
