title: Treatment of Sternal Wound Infection Using a Free Myocutaneous Flap.
abstract: Deep sternal wound infections are potentially life-threatening complications after cardiac operations because they can spread into the mediastinum and cause postoperative morbidity and mortality. We present a 65-year-old man with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting. A large sternal defect was left after debridement. After brief vacuum-assisted closure (VAC), a free myocutaneous flap of the anterolateral thigh (ALT) was used to fill the dead space. At the 9-month follow-up, the wound had healed completely without tissue loss or complications, and the patient returned to normal life. This was a successful treatment of a deep sternal wound with free flap coverage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: I-han
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shyi-Gen
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. Electronic address: super-derrick@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003646:Debridement; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000601:surgery*; D064827:Myocutaneous Flap; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D011859:Radiography; D013249:Sternum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000601:surgery; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000601:surgery*