Delayed sternal closure for life-threatening complications in cardiac operations: an update |
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Authors: | C A Mestres J L Pomar M Acosta S Ninot C Barriuso C Abad J Mulet |
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Affiliation: | Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Clinico y Provincial, Barcelona, Spain. |
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Abstract: | Over a 7-year-period, 25 patients had delayed sternal closure after open heart operations out of 34 patients whose sternum was not closed. The indications were extreme cardiac dilatation and uncontrollable mediastinal hemorrhage. This represented a 1.79% incidence in the overall open heart surgical experience at our unit. Sternal closure was performed at a mean of 2.64 days after the initial operation. Eighteen patients (52.9%) left the hospital alive and well, representing a 72% survival rate among patients undergoing delayed sternal closure. No mediastinal or fatal infection developed and only 1 patient had late superficial wound infection after delayed sternal closure. We conclude that delayed sternal closure is an effective method to treat severe complications after cardiac operations. |
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