Patent ID: 7704520

Claim:
A method for promoting healing of damaged tissue after an open heart surgery, the method comprising: providing a substantially planar healing membrane, which is: (a) substantially-smooth on at least one side; (b) substantially uniform in composition; (c) about 10 microns to about 300 microns in thickness; (d) non-porous; (e) constructed from a resorbable polymer base material being a poly-lactide polymer and a copolymer of lactides, the poly-lactide polymer and copolymer of lactides being 70:30 poly (L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide); and (f) adapted to be resorbed into the mammalian body within a period of approximately 18 to 24 months from an initial implantation of the membrane into the mammalian body; and placing the healing membrane adjacent to an opening in pericardial tissue of a patient so that the pericardial tissue surrounding the opening can regenerate over the membrane.