title: Reinforced sternal closure: the bilateral straight longitudinal wire technique.
abstract: Sternal dehiscence and mediastinitis are among the most severe complications of median sternotomy. A simplified technique of reinforced closure is described. A straight wire is inserted longitudinally on each side of the sternum, placed within the transverse wires when the latter are approximated. Using this technique in 112 patients with a precarious sternum, no cases of sternal dehiscence or mediastinitis have been seen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia. khaled_alebrahim@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al Ebrahim
mesh_terms: D001864:Bone Wires; D006801:Humans; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*