Inflammatory reaction to implanted equine pericardium xenograft.

The research article discusses a case where a man experienced a post-operative reaction following the usage of equine pericardium, derived from horses, as a medical implant for Achilles tendon repair. The patient, although allergic to horses, failed to mention it, leading to an inflammatory reaction at the repair site, prompting the removal of the xenograft, which eventually healed without further issues.

Objective

The objective of this research was to analyze the inflammatory reaction in a patient with an undeclared horse allergy who underwent Achilles tendon repair augmented with an equine pericardium xenograft.

Subject and Procedure

• The subject of the study was a 37-year-old male who had ruptured his Achilles tendon and subsequently underwent an operation where a xenograft made from equine (horse) pericardium was implemented to augment the repair.
• The patient displayed an inflammatory reaction 4-months post-operation, characterized by an indurated and fluctuant subcutaneous soft tissue reaction at the repair site.
• Upon further questioning, the patient confessed to having an allergy to horses, which he had originally not declared because he had not recently experienced any adverse reactions.

Outcome and Conclusion

• At 11 months postoperative, the xenograft was removed from the patient due to the persistent inflammatory reaction.
• Following the removal of the xenograft, the patient’s wound healed without further complications.
• Six months after the removal of the xenograft, the patient showed no signs of an allergy or any Achilles tendon dysfunction.
• This study helps emphasize the importance of a thorough preoperative examination and history-taking to avoid potential postoperative complications.
• It provides a valuable lesson to healthcare providers about the possible outcomes and complications that may occur when incorporating animal-derived materials in medical procedures, especially in patients with a known or potential allergy.