CORMATRIX ECM ALLOWS RECOVERY HEART SURGERY PATIENTS TO REGROW TISSUEMarc Gerdisch

Introduction Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dr. Marc Gerdisch is the chief of

cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Franciscan Health. Committed to developing innovative and less invasive procedures to repair heart tissues, Dr. Marc Gerdisch was the first in the world to implant a CorMatrix ECM Tricuspid Valve in a phase I clinical device trial. 

CorMatrix ECM was first approved by the FDA in 2006 to repair the pericardium, the protective tissue surrounding the heart, after surgery. In 2007 CorMatrix ECM was cleared for repairing cardiac tissues. 

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of animal and human cells is responsible for holding cells together. When a patient’s heart structures, such as valves, are weakened, surgery may be performed to “patch” the damage with CorMatrix ECM. 

CorMatrix ECM Harvested from the lining of pig intestines, CorMatrix ECM is

processed to remove the pig cells, before being sterilized and tested to ensure only the complex collagen structure remains. This thin sheet of collagen is exceptionally strong and can be woven onto the heart to repair heart structures. By providing a base upon which a patient’s cells can attach, multiply, and grow their own collagen matrix, tissue repair can occur naturally. The implanted patch is absorbed over time, leaving only a functional tissue. 

CorMatrix ECM is preferred by medical practitioners over other synthetic implants as it is natural and does not cause inflammatory responses by the body. Since its adaptation in cardiovascular procedures, CorMatrix ECM has been implanted in more than 20,000 heart patients.