title: Autologous pericardial flap for prevention of reentry injury in cardiac reoperations.
abstract: Cardiac injury during sternal reentry to the heart is a rare but dangerous complication of cardiac reoperations. Positioning a pericardial flap between the heart and sternum at the time of the initial operation may consistently facilitate cardiac reoperation by providing a reliable plane of dissection and by reducing adhesion formation.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Canver
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Marrin
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Plume
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Nugent
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D010491:Pericardial Window Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology