Editorial: Omental transposition for cerebral revascularization.
Studies over the past decade have shown that when the omentum is placed on the brain of a patient with cerebral ischemia and/or infarction, beneficial clinical effects have occurred in roughly half the patients. It is believed that these neurological improvements following surgery are due to angiogenic, neurotransmitter, and nerve growth substances that are derived from the omentum and affect the underlying brain. The presence of these biological neurochemicals in the omentum may open up future treatment avenues for a host of neurological conditions. Only with additional experience, experimentation, and controlled clinical trials will the eventual place of the omentum be established in the treatment of a variety of CNS disorders.
From the Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
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Goldsmith