Vacuum-assisted suction drainage versus conventional treatment in the management of poststernotomy osteomyelitis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to compare vacuum-assisted suction drainage (VASD) to conventional wound management, in the treatment of poststernotomy osteomyelitis (SOM).


METHODS
We included a total of 42 patients that developed poststernotomy osteomyelitis and required open wound management, between 1998 and 2000, in this study. Twenty of these patients were treated by VASD and the other 22 by conventional wound management. The patients were well comparable with regards to age, presenting postoperative day, infecting organism and risk factors for osteomyelitis. This was a retrospective study.


RESULTS
The patients treated by VASD had a significantly reduced treatment duration (mean 17.2+/-5.8 vs. 22.9+/-10.8 days, P=0.009) and total hospital stay (mean 27.2+/-6.5 vs. 33.0+/-11.0 days, P=0.03). Perioperative mortality was similar, with one early death in each group.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude from our experience in the treatment of 42 patients with poststernotomy osteomyelitis that VASD shortened wound healing and hospital stay and thus proved to be an excellent alternative to conventional open management of these wounds.
Doss
Mirko
M
Department of Thoracic- and Cardiovascular Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60599 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. mirkodoss@aol.com
Martens
Sven
S
Wood
Jeffrey P
JP
Wolff
Jahn D
JD
Baier
Christian
C
Moritz
Anton
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods; D014618:Vacuum; D014945:Wound Healing