Bovine pericardial reconstruction of the diaphragm after a heart transplant.

Diaphragmatic hernias are a known complication of explanting a left ventricular assist device. The increasing use of left ventricular assist devices has resulted in an increased risk of this complication. We present the case of a patient who presented with diaphragmatic hernias on routine follow-up after a heart transplant. A left thoracotomy was performed to expose and reduce the hernia using a bovine pericardial patch to repair the defect. This biomaterial represents a viable alternative to traditional GORE-TEX patches with the probability of decreased infectious complications.