title: Skin grafting for repair of a cardiac laceration.
abstract: Rupture of the right ventricle has been reported as a complication of closed catheter irrigation in poststernotomy mediastinitis. We report the case of a right ventricular rupture that was repaired with a deepithelialized dermal skin graft. The technique is described and management options for these difficult wounds are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Baldwin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000150:complications; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000150:complications