title: Delayed sternal closure for life-threatening complications in cardiac operations: an update.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Clinico y Provincial, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mestres
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pomar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ninot
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barriuso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mulet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors