Polymeric scaffolds for bioartificial cardiovascular prostheses

The reconstruction or replacement of diseased heart valves, the revascularisation of coronary arteries by coronary artery bypass grafting, the replacement of the central or peripheral blood vessels, and the reconstruction of the irreversibly damaged heart muscle represent the most common fields of application of cardiovascular surgery. In such cases, the diseased tissue is replaced by either a synthetic (metallic or polymeric) or a biological (xenograft, homograft, or autograft) prosthesis, or tissue engineered constructs. The aim of this book chapter is to give an overview over the most frequently used synthetic and biologic polymers as scaffold material in cardiovascular surgery.