Serious wound infections after minimally invasive coronary bypass procedures.
BACKGROUND
Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting has become an increasingly accepted therapy for selected patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease. Reported morbidity has focused on anastomotic problems, but the occurrence of serious wound complications after these procedures has not been well documented.


METHODS
We reviewed our institutional experience with 35 patients to look for the incidence of serious wound complications.


RESULTS
Three patients had serious wound problems after minithoracotomy for coronary artery bypass graft procedures. This represents an overall 9% wound morbidity rate and a 100% rate in the obese women.


CONCLUSIONS
Wound complications at the incision site after minithoracotomy coronary artery bypass graft procedures seem to occur distinctly in obese women with redundant breasts.
Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Jewish Hospital, University of Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA.
S
S
Pagni
E J
EJ
Salloum
G R
GR
Tobin
D J
DJ
VanHimbergen
P A
PA
Spence
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000150:complications; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D015994:Incidence; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D018579:Patient Selection; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000637:transplantation; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods