Autologous platelet gel applications during cardiovascular surgery: effect on wound healing.

Autologous platelet gel (APG) was developed in the early 1990s as a byproduct of platelet-rich plasma sequestration during cardiac surgery. Although APG has been approved for postoperative healing, there have been no published studies that evaluate the effects of APG on sternal healing postcardiopulmonary bypass. The purpose for this study was to examine the effects of APG on postoperative sternal wound healing evidenced by subjective reports of chest and leg pain, the amount of measurable bruising incurred, and platelet indices both preoperatively and postoperatively.