Replacement of mitral valve chordae with autologous pericardium in dogs.

: Glutaraldehyde-tanned autogenous pericardium was compared with untreated autogenous pericardium as a tissue for replacement of anterior chordae tendinae of the mitral valve. Tanned autogenous pericardial chordae have a marked fibrous reaction at their healing ends but retain central pliability. Untreated autogenous pericardial chordae become uniformly fibrosed and stiff. Both retain their length, heal well to the papillary muscle and cusp, and are considered as potentially useful chordal substitutes in the right circumstances. Some of the response of the host to implanted tanned xenograft tissue must be related to the consequences of tanning rather than a reaction to foreign tissue.