title: Treating poststernotomy mediastinitis by transposition of the greater omentum: late angiographic findings.
abstract: Transposition of the greater omentum to the thorax for treatment of severe mediastinal infections due to the anatomical structure and physiological properties of the omental tissue is a proven and safe procedure. From 1987 to 1993, thoracic omentoplasty was performed in 112 cases at our facility. In order to attempt to visualize the vascularization of an omental graft by the right or left gastroepiploic artery via the coeliac trunk, a small group of patients (n = 7) underwent left heart catheterization followed by angiography of the gastroepiploic arteries. Visualization of the gastroepiploic arteries was successful in six patients. Furthermore, anastomoses with adjacent vessels were observed in individual cases. The omental vessels remain open for a long period after transposition to the thorax, and additionally, appear to create anastomoses with surrounding vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Institute, Berlin.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krabatsch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hetzer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009852:Omentum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000637:transplantation*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013903:Thoracic Surgery; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous