Just a brief post to update the reader regarding what I learned today. Evidently prosthetic aortas (the tube they will use to replace my aorta) and sailcloth are essentially the same material: Polyethylene terephthalate (sometimes written poly(ethylene terephthalate)), commonly abbreviated PET, PETE (brand name=Dacron). Wikipedia (I know) describes Dacron: “is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber.”