title: Immediate muscle flap coverage for repair of cardiac rupture associated with mediastinitis.
abstract: Sternal wound infection with mediastinitis is a dreaded complication of cardiac surgery. Even more devastating is perforation of the heart or great vessels secondary to advanced mediastinitis. The exsanguinating hemorrhage and presence of extensive infection usually lead to a poor salvage rate in these patients. Citations in the English literature of successful management of cardiac rupture associated with mediastinitis are, as expected, scare. Recently, the capability for immediate muscle flap coverage in the repair of associated rupture of the heart secondary to active mediastinal infection has been discussed in two reports. This article presents another report, in which bilateral pectoralis major muscle flaps were used successfully in salvage of a patient who sustained rupture of the right ventricle after debridement of an extensively purulent sternal wound and mediastinum.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cruzzavala
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006341:Heart Rupture / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000150:complications*; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000150:complications