An Alternative Technique for Sternal  Closure in a Patient with Severe Sternal  Destruction

Arif Gucu MD; Senol Yavuz MD; Tuğrul Goncu MD; Cuneyt Eris MD; Ahmet Hakan Vural MD

Volume : II, Issue : XI, November - 2013

An Alternative Technique for Sternal Closure in a Patient with Severe Sternal Destruction

Arif Gucu Md, Senol Yavuz Md, Tu Rul Goncu Md, Cuneyt Eris Md, Ahmet Hakan Vural Md,

Abstract :

Postoperative sternal dehiscence is a potentially catastrophic sequel of median sternotomy that can cause not only chest wall discomfort and pulmonary dysfunction but infection, both superficial and mediastinal. In this case report, we presented a 69–year–old patient who had recurrent sternal dehiscence and destruction after cardiac surgery. An alternative technique was performed to close the destructive sternum. It consists of wrapping wires twice around each rib head and placing standard circumferential wire sutures for sternal closure, thus providing full stability by decreasing the load on the sternum using only steel wires. The procedure was uneventful on two months follow–up, the anterior chest wall was stable.We think that the use of this stabilization technique is an economical, easy, and efficient method of complete sternal closure in the presence of lower sternal destruction