Process for reducing mineralization of tissue used in transplantation

The surgical implantation of prosthetic devices (prostheses) into humans and other mammals has been carried out with increasing frequency. Such prostheses include, by way of illustration, heart valves, vascular grafts, urinary bladders, heart bladders, left ventricular-assist devices, and the like. The prostheses may be constructed from natural tissues, inorganic materials, synthetic polymers, or combinations thereof. By way of illustration, mechanical heart valve prostheses typically are composed of rigid materials, such as polymers, carbon-based materials, and metals. Valvular bioprostheses, on the other hand, typically are fabricated from either porcine aortic valves or bovine pericardium. A method of making a tissue-derived implantable medical device that includes contacting the tissue with a composition comprising at least one oxidizing agent prior to implantation of the medical device.